Breathing - Slowed or Stopped
Alternate Names : Apnea, Not Breathing, Respiration Slowed or Stopped, Respiratory Arrest
Definition Apnea means absence of spontaneous breathing from any cause. Apnea can be intermittent and temporary, as occurs with obstructive sleep apnea, or prolonged. Prolonged apnea is also called respiratory arrest.
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Overview & Considerations
Prolonged apnea (respiratory arrest) is a life-threatening disorder that requires immediate medical attention and first aid.
Any episode of apnea, even a temporary one, in which a person turns blue, has a seizure, becomes limp, or remains drowsy or unconscious, requires prompt medical attention.
Apnea can occur for many different reasons. The most common causes of apnea in infants and small children are generally quite different from the most common causes in adults.
In infants and children, the most common cause of cardiac arrest (lack of an effective heartbeat) is a preceding respiratory arrest. In adults, the opposite usually occurs: cardiac arrest leads to respiratory arrest.
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