This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Agonal breathing

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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:

  1. Resuscitation Council (UK). Resuscitation Guidelines 2021.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.