Breathing - slowed or stopped

Alternative Names

When to Contact a Medical Professional

If a person has stopped breathing, call for emergency help and perform CPR (if you know how). When in a public place, look for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and follow the directions.

CPR or other emergency measures will be done in an emergency room or by an ambulance EMT (emergency medical technician).

Once the patient is stable, the doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about the person's medical history. Questions may include:

• Time pattern
  • Has this ever happened before?
  • How long did the event last?
  • Has the person had repeated, brief episodes of apnea?
  • Did the episode end with a sudden deep snorting breath?
  • Did the episode occur while awake or asleep?
• Recent heath history
  • Has there been any recent history of an accident or injury?
  • Has the person been ill recently?
  • Had there been any breathing difficulty before the breathing stopped?
  • What other symptoms are also present?
  • What medication does the person take?
  • Does the person use street drugs?

The doctor will listen to the person's heart sounds and breath sounds. Diagnostic tests may be performed. They include:

• Arterial blood gas
• Chest x-ray
• ECG
• Other blood tests

References

Marx, J. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006.

Fleisher KE, Krieger AC. Current trends in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007: 65 (10): 2056-68.