Respiratory distress is a life threatening symptom characterized by the inability to breathe comfortably. In a normal human being, breathing is an automatic process done without any conscious effort on the part of the individual and continues during sleep and periods of unconsciousness. It is usually characterized by: * Hyperpnea - deeper than normal breathing * Tachypnea - faster than normal breathing * Conscious use of auxiliary breathing muscles, such as those in the chest, rather than just the diaphragm * Depression of the skin around the ribs and the top of the sternum