If cardiac arrest occurs, the person usually drops or slumps to the ground. This has been shown to interfere with blood flow to the heart muscle. There’s no need to perform mouth-to-mouth. But experts suspect it's due to an autoimmune reaction. Exactly what causes the loss of hypocretin-producing cells in the brain isn't known. Hypocretin levels are low in people who experience cataplexy. If you believe that someone is in cardiac arrest and is in the middle of an agonal breathing episode and you know CPR, you should begin chest compressions and do what you can to continue chest compressions until help arrives.Ī person in cardiac arrest may also be revived with the help of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Hypocretin is a chemical in the brain that helps control being awake and when you enter REM sleep. If you’re not sure why the person is having trouble breathing, ask the dispatcher what you should do and if it’s OK to try CPR. Make it clear that the breathing isn’t steady. If the dispatcher asks if the person is breathing, don’t simply say yes because you hear gasping and snorting. Anyone gasping for breath - even if there are no other obvious symptoms - needs emergency medical help.Ĭall your local emergency services and tell the dispatcher about the person’s abnormal breathing and any other symptoms you’ve noticed. Gasping for breath is a sign that something is wrong. The brain can have permanent damage if it’s deprived of oxygen for too long. Either can lead to a condition called cerebral hypoxia, which is insufficient oxygen supply to the brain regardless of the cause. It can also be caused by a hemorrhagic stroke due to a bleeding blood vessel within the brain. This can be caused by a ministroke due to a blood flow blockage within a brain blood vessel. Having had a heart attack makes it more likely to have cardiac arrest.Īnother common cause of agonal breathing is cerebral ischemia, or a reduction in blood flow to the brain. If cardiac arrest is the cause of agonal breathing, the labored breaths may only last a few minutes. This is known as an arrhythmia, or pattern of irregular heartbeats.īlood continues to flow briefly in the brain and other organs, which can cause gasps for a few minutes after the heart stops. During cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating effectively. Unlike a heart attack - which happens when one or more arteries narrow and stop blood from reaching the heart muscle - cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. Agonal breathing can occur when someone has gone into cardiac arrest.
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