aetiology of acute breathlessness
Last reviewed 01/2018
Acute causes include:
- lung disease
- upper airway obstruction - acute epiglottitis, foreign body aspiration, laringospasm
- acute asthma, acute exacerbation of COPD
- pneumonia
- pulmonary embolism
- pleural disease - pneumothorax, pleural effusion
- bronchilitis
- cardiac disease
- congestive heart failure
- arrhythmia
- ischemic heart disease
- valvular diseases
- other causes
- metabolic causes - diabetic ketoacidosis, aspirin intoxication
- anaemia
- psychogenic - anxiety, depression (1,2)
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