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The diagnosis of a breath-holding spell is made clinically. A good history including the sequence of events, lack of incontinence and no postictal phase, help to make an accurate diagnosis. Some families are advised to make a video recording of the events to aid diagnosis. An electrocardiogram (ECG) may rule out cardiac arrhythmia as a cause. [1]
Periodic breathing during sleep occurs typically in adult patients with congestive heart failure. Periodic breathing is also a normal variation of breathing found in premature and full term infants. It occurs when the infant has pauses in breathing for no more than 10 seconds at a time followed by a series of rapid, shallow breaths.
Under ideal conditions (i.e., if pure oxygen is breathed before onset of apnea to remove all nitrogen from the lungs, and pure supplemental oxygen is insufflated), apneic oxygenation could theoretically be sufficient to provide enough oxygen for survival of more than one hour's duration in a healthy adult.
Over 50% of infants who are born preterm are estimated to be affected by apnea of prematurity. [2] Infants who are born weighing less than 1000g have close to a 100% risk of being affected by apnea of prematurity. Most premature infants are affected by 'central' apnea due to the developmental stage of their respiratory tract. [2]
Transient tachypnea of the newborn occurs in approximately 1 in 100 preterm infants and 3.6–5.7 per 1000 term infants. It is most common in infants born by caesarian section without a trial of labor after 35 weeks of gestation. Male infants and infants with an umbilical cord prolapse or perinatal asphyxia are at higher risk.
The conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia, whether caused by apnea or not, trigger additional effects on the body.The immediate effects of central sleep apnea on the body depend on how long the failure to breathe endures, how short is the interval between failures to breathe, and the presence or absence of independent conditions whose effects amplify those of an apneic episode.
The purpose of ventilation with 100% oxygen is to denitrogenate healthy patients and prolong the safe apneic time. Tubes with an internal diameter of over 8mm are acceptable for most adults. Insertion technique includes visualizing the epiglottis, the posterior laryngeal structure, and not passing the tube unless tracheal insertion is ensured.
Human infants are commonly described as obligate nasal breathers as they breathe through their nose rather than the mouth. [20] Most infants, however, are able to breathe through their mouth if their nose is blocked. [20] There are however certain infants with conditions such as choanal atresia in which deaths have resulted from nasal ...