Sign or Symptom
apnea Audio
ap·ne·a [ ap-nee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Respiration Disorders
Definitions related to apnea (pause in breathing):
  • (apnea) A temporary pause in breathing during sleep that can be very brief or can last so long that the amount of oxygen in the blood drops dangerously low.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (apnea) A transient absence of spontaneous respiration.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • (apnea) Lack of breathing with no movement of the respiratory muscles and no exchange of air in the lungs. This term refers to a disposition to have recurrent episodes of apnea rather than to a single event.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • (apnea) Transient cessation of respiration.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (apnea) A disorder characterized by cessation of breathing.
    Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events
    U.S. National Institutes of Health, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.