Cheyene Stokes - Dying pt

Published

Specializes in Acute Care.

I was always under the assumption a pt with cheyene stokes is considered to be entering the last phases of dying. I had a pt today who had a "large" brainstem hemorrhage, expected to pass. This is on a med surg/CVA floor. He was a DNR/comfort care, and after he was made comfort care, he was transferred from ICU to my unit.

He had labored breathing this morning along with the "death rattle", lungs sounded very very congested. I suctioned him as best I could, but didnt get much up - wife also requested we keep him as comfortable as possible , so I didnt want to harass him with suction too much.

Towards the end of my shift, he had cheyne stokes resp. Also on a morphine drip - could the morphine be causing this or is it death taking over?

I couldnt tell if he was mottling really b/c he has severe PVD and his legs are very dark anyway.

How long before death do you see cheyene stokes? My charge today said she had a pt who had cheyene stokes for 13 days before he passed! I never thought it would be that long

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

It can take awhile. I sat with a patient once all night, thinking he had taken his last breath, and then 40 seconds later he would breathe a little, then stop.... I'd start timing them again....

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Look for other signs of impending death, such as BP changes and Decreased urine output. My own dad age 92 last over a week in this state.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care.
Alexk49 said:
Look for other signs of impending death, such as BP changes and Decreased urine output. My own dad age 92 last over a week in this state.

He actually had orders stating no VS, including BP b/c it interferred with his comfort.

The only thing I did VS-wise today was take his temp (tympanic) at his wife's request.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surge, Private Duty Peds.

I once had a pt that did this for 6 days, she would only take one breath about every 45 seconds. I would think she was on her last breath, but come the 45 seconds would have to start counting again. Some times she wouldn't even get out the full breath.

I would come in every night thinking she would have passed on, but nope, stayed that way.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't trust those cheyne stoke resps...

Had a pt who was doing these, along w/the doll eyes, only to have both completely reversed and at baseline a couple of hrs later.

I'm telling you, there will always be pts who defy textbook anything.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

How true. Reminds me of the dying chf'er I had a couple of years ago. My shift started with "she just passed" in report, when she hadn't but her son certainly was freaking out. The night was rough on the whole family but I did enjoy being able to educate a bunch of people who impressed me by sticking by their mom during her time. After a few hours she only breathed twice a minute. Period. Which she proceeded to do for another two days before passing, and that was with adequate amounts of morphine to decrease the moaning and discomfort. She was also periodically awake but never for more than a few seconds.

So the funny part is, her daughter asked me during a set of VS (q4 hrs) to please listen to her lungs and give her an update. Ok so I put my steth on her chest and listened. Then looked up at her daughter who was watching my every move. I couldn't help it; I let out a giggle. I had to explain that it was silly of me to try to listen to her breathe when it took 30 seconds or so for her to have another breath; file that under "new nurse." Fortunately no one took my sudden attack of the giggles as disrespectful.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds.

I've seen children with Cheyne-Stokes respirations who have had at least partial recovery from whatever insult led them to the C-S breathing in the first place. They certainly don't always presage death.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I had a patient 2 weeks ago with Kussmaul AND cheyne stokes resps with doll eyes and was unresponsive to sternal rub, voice, etc with RR of 32 - 40...it occured all of a sudden and the physician said that her brain hemorrhage was getting worse and even said she wont live the night.

She is still with us 14 days later....she is eating now, able to speak (incohenrently but is able to speak at least) and she looks 1000 X better than she did that night)

Her vitals are stable now! I was SO surprised when I came back from vacation and saw her considering the condition she was in when I left

I also thought that CS resps basically meant you were gonna pass away soon but i guess not

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

are you sure it wasn't a neurologic breathing pattern you were seeing rather than cheyne-stokes considering the bleed was at the brain stem where the resp center (medulla) is located? just a thought

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
mpccrn said:
are you sure it wasn't a neurologic breathing pattern you were seeing rather than cheyne-stokes considering the bleed was at the brain stem where the resp center (medulla) is located? just a thought

The doctor was in the room and even said she was cheyne stoking + kussmauling

What is a neurological breathing pattern? Isn't that CS and Kussmaul?

thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

I had a lady this weekend who I was sure wouldn't last the shift, and two days later she was up walking around cussing people out like she usually does.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion