Who would have paradoxical respirations?

Answer 1

Paradoxical resps come from an airway obstruction. This can be caused by an acute process such as Asthma or an exacerbation of COPD or even a mechanical obstruction, such as a piece of food lodging in the trachea. Someone who is in respiratory distress of any sort will have these resps and it is indicative of an extremely urgent situation, if not, emergent. Hope that this helps!!!

clkfrau1@aol.com Paradoxical respirations are seen as movement of the chest wall opposite of what one would expect to see, i.e. inflation of the lung during expiration, and deflation of the lung during inspiration. This occurs usually after blunt trauma to the chest, resulting in flail chest (loss of stability of the thoracic cage due to multiple rib fractures, and/or separation of the ribs from the sternum) or with paralysis of the diaphragm. I believe the above answer may be referring to a similar term--paroxysmal respirations.

Answer 2

Individuals with conditions that affect the central nervous system, such as traumatic brain injury or brainstem injury, may exhibit paradoxical respirations. This abnormal breathing pattern involves the chest moving inward during inspiration and outward during expiration. It indicates dysfunction in the brain's respiratory control centers.