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Deadspace Respired gas volume that does not participate in gas exchange; May be anatomic, alveolar or mechanical
Deep Sleep Stage Common term for NREM stages 3 and 4 sleep; In deep sleep, a person is very difficult to arouse; Mostly occurs at the beginning of the night
Delayed Sleep Phase A condition that occurs when the clock hour at which sleep normally occurs is moved ahead in time within a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle; Commonly known as Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
Delta Activity EEG activity of 75 uV amplitude (peak-to-peak) and 0.5 seconds’ duration (2Hz) or less
Delta Sleep Stage The stage of sleep in which EEG delta waves are prevalent or predominant- Sleep stages III and IV
Diagnostic Criteria Specific criteria established in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders to aid in determining the unequivocal presence of a particular sleep disorder
Disorganized Breathing A breathing pattern consisting of irregular breathing with short periods of apnea, usually accompanied by heart rate decelerations and/or bradycardia; Can be a signal that the patient being monitored is awake
Drowsiness A stage of quiet wakefulness that typically occurs before sleep onset; If the eyes are closed, diffuse slowed alpha activity usually is present, which then gives way to early features of Sleep stage I
Dynamic Compliance A measure of distensibility of the lungs during breathing (i.e., the pressure required to obtain a given volume of inflation)
Dyspnea Shortness of breath
Dysynchrony Pertaining to ventilatory support, a situation in which interaction between the patient and machine is poorly coordinated, causing extra patient effort and discomfort

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