Cheyne-Stokes Breathing is characterized by what pattern?

• A. Periods of deep breathing alternate to periods of apnea
• B. Rapid, shallow breathing
• C. Slow, regular breathing
• D. Irregular breathing with no pattern

Answer: (A)

Cheyne-Stokes breathing is a cyclic pattern where the depth of breathing gradually increases (crescendo) then decreases (decrescendo) followed by a period of no breathing (apnea), and this sequence repeats. That waxing and waning of breath with pauses is the hallmark, so the description of alternating deep breathing and apnea best fits. Rapid, shallow breathing is a different pattern (tachypnea); slow, regular breathing is bradypnea; irregular breathing with no pattern describes ataxic breathing. This cyclic pattern can occur in conditions like heart failure or CNS injuries, which is why the pattern itself is distinctive.