Which phrase is considered agonal breathing?

• A. Gasping for air
• B. Not breathing
• C. Turning blue
• D. Barely breathing

Answer: (A)

Agonal breathing is an abnormal, irregular gasping pattern that can occur when the heart stops. It isn’t effective breathing and can be mistaken for normal breaths, which is why recognizing it matters in an emergency. The phrase that matches this pattern is “gasping for air” because it describes those irregular, labored gasps that people sometimes make during cardiac arrest. In contrast, not breathing describes a complete absence of respiration, turning blue is a color change indicating severe oxygen deprivation, and barely breathing implies very shallow, regular breaths rather than the characteristic gasps of agonal respiration. If you encounter this in the field, treat it as no effective breathing and start CPR immediately.