Cheyne-Stokes respiration
|
|
Cheyne-Stokes respiration is an abnormality of the pattern of breathing. It qualifies as a form of sleep apnea. The condition was named after John Cheyne and William Stokes, the physicians who first classified it.
It consists of cycles of gradual increase in tidal volume, followed by a gradual decrease in tidal volume and a period of [apnea]. In plain English, that means the patient has deepening breaths, followed by shallower and shallower breaths and stops breathing for a short period of time before starting to breathe again.
This is caused by the failure of the respiratory center in the brain to compensate quickly enough for changing serum partial pressure levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide, causing the body to play "catch-up" and overcompensating.
This abnormal pattern of breathing can be seen in patients with strokes, head injuries or brain tumours, in patients with congestive heart failure. In some instances, it can occur in otherwise normal people during sleep at high altitudes.
In very sick patients, it is often a sign of impending death.