Cheyne-Stokes respiration

9.1

Breathing that becomes very shallow then very deep in a repeating pattern, often in serious illness

noun
/ˈʧeɪnˌstoʊks ˌrɛspəˈreɪʃən/

Specialized

: respiración de Cheyne-Stokes

Patients with heart failure may experience Cheyne-Stokes respiration during sleep, which involves alternating shallow and deep breaths.

Examples

Theophylline has been suggested as a possible therapy for Cheyne-Stokes respiration.

Academic text (2007)
The doctor explained that Cheyne-Stokes respiration could indicate a serious underlying condition that requires immediate attention.
Keywords: Acetazolamide; Cheyne-Stokes respiration; Medroxyprogesterone; Respiratory failure; Stroke; Theophylline.

Academic text (2007)
In cases of severe respiratory distress, Cheyne-Stokes respiration may be observed, complicating the patient's clinical picture.

Synonyms

periodic breathing

vsCheyne-Stokes respiration

Specialized

6.7

Repeated cycles of shallow and deep breaths

occurs mainly in serious illnesses and is a defined medical syndrome

How Abnormal

Cheyne-Stokes respiration

Specialized

9.1

periodic breathing

Specialized

6.7

short-winded

7.1

eupnea

Specialized

9.9

Surface Forms

Cheyne-Stokes respiration singular

Cheyne-Stokes respirations plural

Morphology

Cheyne-Stokes + respiration

The element 'respiration' clearly signals the phrase refers to breathing, so a learner would infer it's a type or pattern of breathing. However 'Cheyne-Stokes' is an eponym with no semantic content for most learners, so the precise meaning (alternating shallow and deep breaths) cannot be derived from the parts, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Cheyne-Stokes respiration comes from the names of two doctors, Cheyne and Stokes, who first wrote about a breathing pattern that looks like waves, with breaths that become shallow, then deep, then shallow again. That's why Cheyne-Stokes respiration today describes 'alternating shallow and deep breathing' often seen in very ill people.