DEATHRATTLE

Death rattle

A death rattle is the sound produced by someone who is near death when saliva accumulates in the throat. Those who are dying may lose their ability to swallow, resulting in such an accumulation. Usually, two or three days earlier the symptoms of death can be observed as saliva accumulates in the throat, making it very difficult to take even a spoonful of water. Related symptoms can include shortness of breath and rapid chest movement. While death rattle is a strong indication that someone is near death, it can also be produced by other problems that cause interference with the swallowing reflex, such as the case with brain injuries.

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death rattle

Noun

  1. The raspy or gurgling sound sometimes made by a person as he or she draws in or expels the final breaths in the moments before dying.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: death rattle
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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