Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Practice Test

Cheyne-Stokes respirations are a cyclical breathing pattern with alternating periods of apnea and breathing that becomes progressively deeper and faster, then shallower again before the next apnea. The hallmark is the repeating crescendo-decrescendo of tidal volume followed by a pause, rather than a consistently rapid, shallow, constant, or irregular slow pattern. This pattern reflects a delayed or unstable breathing control response to CO2 levels, and is often seen in advanced heart failure, stroke, or brain injury.