Agonal breathing sounds like a person gasping for air.
This article will describe the causes, symptoms, and treatments for agonal breathing.
The symptoms of agonal breathing include:
A Word From Verywell
Agonal breathing is an emergency.
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Call for appropriate help immediately if you notice someone with agonal breathing.
Tell a healthcare provider what is happening if you are in a hospital or hospice setting.
Outside of a healthcare setting, call 911 immediately.
It can also happen during the last stages of aterminal illness.
In this case, medical attention is only necessary for symptom relief.
Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until an emergency medical team arrives.
Swift action is necessary in the case of cardiac arrest or stroke.
In terminally ill people, agonal breathing is a sign of approaching death.
Healthcare providers will decide how best to manage the situation.
This temporary measure keeps blood and oxygen flowing until emergency medical help arrives.
Administering proper CPR as soon as possible can help save someones life and prevent brain damage.
But they are different conditions and happen under different situations.
Agonal breathing is a natural reflex that happens when your body is not getting enough oxygen.
The goal of treatment is to provide peace and comfort.
This may include:
Summary
Agonal breathing is the bodys last attempt to stay alive.
If you witness agonal breathing, start CPR and call 911 immediately.
Agonal breathing also occurs at the end of life and is a natural part of the dying process.
During this time, a person may be receiving palliative treatment to ensure they pass as comfortably as possible.
National CPR Foundation.Agonal breathing: What is it?
What should I do?
Sarver Heart Center.Gasping is a sign of cardiac arrest.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Stroke.
Hospice Foundation of America.When death is near: signs and symptoms.
American Red Cross.What is CPR?
2014;4:17. doi:10.1186/2110-5820-4-17
MedlinePlus.Palliative care - what the final days are like.
