Which breathing pattern is typically observed in a patient with an asthma attack?

During an asthma attack, patients often exhibit a specific breathing pattern that includes the use of accessory muscles and retractions. This occurs as they struggle to breathe due to narrowed airways, which leads to increased work of breathing. In this situation, the body recruits additional muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles to assist in inhalation, while retractions may be observed in the neck and intercostal spaces as the chest wall is drawn in during breathing efforts.

This pattern is a compensatory mechanism to overcome the increased resistance in the airways and to maintain adequate ventilation. As air passages become constricted, patients may also experience wheezing and difficulty in expiration, which can further highlight the reliance on accessory muscles to achieve adequate airflow.

In contrast, rapid shallow breathing is more typical of anxiety or restrictive lung diseases rather than an asthma attack. Cheyne-Stokes respiration is often associated with central nervous system issues and not specifically with asthma. Deep diaphragmatic breathing may be attempted as a relaxation technique, but during an acute exacerbation of asthma, patients are more likely to struggle and switch to reliance on their accessory muscles due to the difficulty in taking deep breaths.