Call your health care provider if:

Seek immediate medical attention or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if a person with any type of apnea:

• Becomes limp
• Has a seizure
• Is not alert (loses consciousness)
• Remains drowsy
• Turns blue

If a person has stopped breathing, call for emergency help and perform CPR (if you know how). When in a public place, look for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and follow the directions.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

CPR or other emergency measures will be done in an emergency room or by an ambulance emergency medical technician (EMT).

Once the patient is stable, the health care provider will do a physical exam, which includes listening to heart sounds and breath sounds.

Questions will be asked about the person's medical history and symptoms, including:

• Time pattern
  • Has this ever happened before?
  • How long did the event last?
  • Has the person had repeated, brief episodes of apnea?
  • Did the episode end with a sudden deep snorting breath?
  • Did the episode occur while awake or asleep?
• Recent health history
  • Has there been any recent history of an accident or injury?
  • Has the person been ill recently?
  • Had there been any breathing difficulty before the breathing stopped?
  • What other symptoms have you noticed?
  • What medications does the person take?
  • Does the person use street or recreational drugs?

Diagnostic tests that may be done include:

• Arterial blood gas
• Chest x-ray
• ECG
• Other blood tests