Kussmaul breathing is best described as which pattern?

• A. Fruity acetone breath
• B. Cycle of shallow then deep breathing
• C. Apnea followed by fast breathing
• D. Fast, even breathing

Answer: (B)

Kussmaul breathing is a compensatory hyperventilation pattern due to metabolic acidosis, where breathing is rapid and notably deep and labored in an ongoing, rhythmic way to blow off CO2.

Among the options, the description that mentions a cycle involving shallow breaths followed by deep breaths best conveys the idea of markedly increased breath depth as the body tries to correct the acidosis. The other choices describe unrelated signs or breathing patterns: a fruity acetone breath is an odor, not a pattern; apnea followed by fast breathing describes Cheyne-Stokes respiration; and fast, even breathing describes tachypnea with little depth.