Respiratory manifestations of terminally ill patients

Everyone will experience birth, aging, sickness and death, and the final outcome for everyone is death. But if it is due to special reasons, such as illness, one enters the stage of death early. The breathing between a dying patient and a patient who dies normally is different. Terminally ill patients may experience different respiratory states due to symptoms of different diseases. Here are five different symptoms of breathing in dying patients.

The first type of Cheyne-Stokes breathing

It is a periodic breathing disorder, where the breathing changes from shallow and slow to faster and deeper.

After reaching the climax, it gradually becomes shallower and slower, and then pauses for a few seconds (5-30 seconds), sometimes up to 30-40 seconds, and the above

State of breathing. This cycle repeats itself over and over again, like the rise and fall of the tide, so it is called tidal breathing. Cheyne-Stokes breathing is a process that reduces the excitability of the respiratory center.

Low levels are seen in diseases of the respiratory central system, such as encephalitis, meningitis, increased intracranial pressure, acidosis, barbiturate poisoning, etc.

The second type of intermittent breathing (Bio's breathing)

Breathing and breathing pauses occur alternately. Intermittent breathing is a manifestation of a significant decrease in the excitability of the respiratory center, which is seen in patients with respiratory center failure.

The third depth change

(1) Deep breathing (Kusmao breathing): It is a deep and regular breathing. More common in patients with metabolic acidosis. (2) Shallow breathing: shallow, irregular breathing, sometimes like sighing. Seen in dying patients.

The fourth type of abnormal sound

(1) Cicada-like breathing: seen in laryngeal edema, spasm, or foreign objects in the larynx. (2) Snoring breathing: seen in comatose patients.

Fifth type of breathing difficulty

The breathing rate, rhythm, and depth all change. The patient feels that he is short of air, has difficulty breathing, feels chest tightness and irritability.

Able to lie flat, with cyanosis of lips and nail beds, and flaring of nose. According to clinical manifestations, it can be divided into: (1) Inspiratory dyspnea: seen in upper airway obstruction. The inspiratory time is prolonged and the three-depression sign appears. Seen in patients with laryngeal edema and laryngeal foreign bodies. (2) Expiratory dyspnea: occurs when there is lower respiratory tract obstruction. Exhalation time is prolonged. More common in asthma patients. (3) Mixed dyspnea: Both inhalation and exhalation feel labored, and breathing is rapid and shallow. More common in lung infections.