It is likely more distressing to the family and loved ones to hear the death rattle than it is to the patient experiencing it. If your loved one experiences end-stage wet respirations, here are some practical things you can do to minimize or eliminate it: Try changing the patient's position.
carbon dioxide - a heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances; absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a compound made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Beverages are artificially carbonated when carbon dioxide is dissolved into the liquid under high pressure. When that pressure is released, small gas bubbles develop. Carbonation can also occur naturally when carbon dioxide gas is dissolved into a liquid, such as in spring water, which absorbs CO2 underground.