Kussmaul respirations are characterized by which description?

• A. Short, shallow breaths
• B. Irregular, gasping breaths
• C. Long and deep respirations, usually with metabolic acidosis such as DKA
• D. Noisy inspiration

Answer: (C)

Kussmaul respirations reflect the body's attempt to compensate for metabolic acidosis by increasing ventilation to blow off CO2. The pattern is deep, long, and labored breaths, often with little or no pause between inspirations. This is a hallmark in conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis, where the body tries to raise blood pH by reducing hydrogen ion concentration.

Think of other patterns as not fitting this scenario: shallow, short breaths don’t move enough air to expel CO2; irregular, gasping breaths suggest an unstable or failing pattern rather than a deliberate compensatory deep breath; noisy inspiration points to an airway obstruction or obstructions rather than metabolic compensation.