North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam 2025 - Free EMT Practice Questions and Study Guide

Cheyne-Stokes respirations are characterized by a distinctive pattern of breathing where the individual experiences a gradual increase in the depth and intensity of breaths, followed by a decrease that leads to temporary apnea before the cycle repeats. This pattern is often seen in patients with certain medical conditions, particularly those affecting the brain, such as stroke or severe heart failure.

The regularity of this breathing pattern, with its crescendo-decrescendo sequence, is what sets Cheyne-Stokes apart from other types of respirations. Other respiratory patterns, such as ataxic respirations, are more irregular and do not follow a consistent pattern of increasing and decreasing intensity. Apneustic respirations involve prolonged pauses at full inhalation, lacking the gradually varying intensity characteristic of Cheyne-Stokes. Normal respirations, while consistent and rhythmic, do not exhibit the distinctive progressive changes in intensity that define Cheyne-Stokes. Understanding these patterns is critical in clinical assessment and can provide important insights into a patient’s underlying condition.