Breathing that slows down or stops from any cause is called apnea.
Alternative Names:
Respiration slowed or stopped; Not breathing; Respiratory arrest; Apnea
Considerations:
Apnea can come and go and be temporary. This can occur with obstructive sleep apnea, for example.
Prolonged apnea means a person has stopped breathing. If the heart is still active, the condition is known as respiratory arrest. This is a life-threatening event that requires immediate medical attention and first aid.
Prolonged apnea accompanied by lack of any heart activity in a person who is not responsive is called cardiac (or cardiopulmonary) arrest. In infants and children, the most common cause of cardiac arrest is respiratory arrest. In adults, the opposite usually occurs: Cardiac arrest leads to respiratory arrest.
Common Causes:
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.
Common causes of apnea in infants and young children include:
See immediate medical attention or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if a person with any type of apnea:
Becomes limp
Has a seizure
Is not alert (loses consciousness)
Remains drowsy
Turns blue
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.
What to expect at your health care provider's office:
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 health care provider will do a physical exam, which includes listening to heart sounds and breath sounds .
Questions will be asked about the person's medical history and symptoms, including:
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 health 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?
Gausche-Hill M. Sudden infant death syndrome and apparent life-threatening events. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006:chap 175.
Review Date: 1/16/2009 Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
