is an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by periods of breathing with gradually increasing and decreasing tidal volume interspersed with periods of
Apnea . In cases of increasing
Intracranial Pressure , it is often the first abnormal breathing pattern to appear.
The condition was named after
John Cheyne and
William Stokes , the physicians who first classified it.
This is caused by the failure of the
Respiratory Center in the brain to compensate quickly for changing serum
Partial Pressure of
Oxygen and
Carbon Dioxide .
This abnormal pattern of breathing can be seen in patients with
Stroke s, head injuries or
Brain Tumors , and in patients with
Congestive Heart Failure . In some instances, it can occur in otherwise normal people during sleep at high altitudes, where it is an important sign of
Altitude Sickness .
Hospice personnel often note the presence of Cheyne-Stokes breathing as a patient nears death, and report that patients able to speak after such episodes do not report any distress associated with the breathing, although it is sometimes disturbing to the family.
Cheyne-Stokes respirations are not the same as
Biot's Respirations ("cluster breathing"), where groups of breaths tend to be similar in size.
