“Respiratory arrest” is the term for breathing that has stopped. You still have a pulse, but you aren’t breathing. Many things can cause this, like another medical condition or something blocking your airway. Not breathing is an emergency that requires immediate treatment. Survival depends on it.
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Respiratory arrest means you’re not breathing. This is an emergency. With this rare condition, you still have a heartbeat (pulse) but can’t breathe. The oxygen level in your body goes down and the carbon dioxide level goes up. You need immediate medical care to avoid cardiac arrest. It’s possible to survive if someone opens your airway quickly.
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Just before respiratory (pulmonary) arrest, you may have trouble breathing. You may also feel agitated or confused. Symptoms may include:
Causes of pulmonary arrest include:
Risk factors for respiratory arrest include:
A healthcare provider may be able to prevent this condition by treating respiratory distress early. You can lower your risk of respiratory arrest in these ways:
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Complications of respiratory arrest include:
A healthcare provider can tell right away if you’ve stopped breathing. Your chest doesn’t go up and down when you’re not breathing.
They’ll start to treat you immediately. But they also need to figure out why you can’t breathe. They may figure this out at the scene of your collapse, in an ambulance or at a hospital. A provider may:
A healthcare provider needs to create an airway immediately so your body can get oxygen. They may need to clear your airway first if something is blocking it. Then, they can give you a different airway with a mask or tube (in your nose or mouth) and mechanical ventilation.
Giving you the right amount of oxygen is important. Too much can be harmful, as it can lower the amount of blood your heart can pump.
If someone sees that you aren’t responsive and aren’t breathing, they should call 911 or your local emergency number. Then, they should start CPR.
Once you’re breathing again, healthcare providers can treat the cause of respiratory arrest.
You’ll need follow-up visits with a healthcare provider after surviving respiratory arrest. Your provider will want to manage any condition that caused you to stop breathing. This can lower your risk of it happening again.
Questions to ask your healthcare provider may include:
When you survive a respiratory arrest, you can expect to be in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). Healthcare providers will need to monitor you. You may be in the hospital for several days to several weeks. It depends on your situation.
People are more likely to survive a respiratory arrest than a cardiac arrest.
You may not know what to do if you see someone who’s not responsive and not breathing. Try to set your emotions and anxiety aside and call your local emergency number. If someone has stopped breathing, quick treatment gives them a chance to survive. The emergency dispatcher can tell you what to do until help arrives.
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Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy, reliability and up-to-date clinical standards.
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