Agonal breathing
Agonal breathing
Agonal breathing (occasional gasps, slow, laboured, or noisy breathing) is commonly seen in the first few minutes after sudden cardiac arrest
- it is a sign of cardiac arrest and are seen in 40% of cardiac arrest victims
- it is easy to mistake as normal breathing but are infrequent, noisy gasps (1)
- can also occur during chest compressions as cerebral perfusion improves but should not be mistaken as a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
- is an indication for stating CPR immediately
Reference:
- Resuscitation Council (UK). Resuscitation Guidelines 2021.
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.