Definition: Apnea is the medical term for not breathing, either for a brief period of time or a more extended period of time. (a-without, pnea-breathing)
Holding your breath is an example of apnea, as is sleep apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing repeatedly while sleeping.
In very sick patients, an apnea test may be performed to determine if the patient is able to breathe on their own, or if they are apneic and require a ventilator to breathe.
During surgery, a patient is apneic because of the anesthesia drugs given that paralyze the respiratory system. For that reason, patients receiving general anesthesia will be on a ventilator during the procedure.
Pronunciation: app - knee - uhh
Also Known As: apneic, sleep apnea,
Common Misspellings: apknea, appnea, apnea, apkneeuh, appkneuh, appnic, apnick, apnik, apneck,
Examples:
The patient was kept on the ventilator for a few extra hours after surgery because he was having periods of apnea.
