Etiology

Pulmonary Disease

Alveolar Filling Processes

• General Comments: mechanism involves stimulation of pulmonary receptors
• Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia (COP) (see Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia, [[Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia]])
• Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage (DAH) (see Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage, [[Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage]])
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) (see Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, [[Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis]])
• Pneumonia (see Pneumonia, [[Pneumonia]])
• Pulmonary Edema (see Pulmonary Edema, [[Pulmonary Edema]])

Atelectasis (see Atelectasis, [[Atelectasis]])

• Obstructive Atelectasis
• Non-Obstructive Atelectasis

Interstitial Lung Disease (see Interstitial Lung Disease-Etiology, [[Interstitial Lung Disease-Etiology]])

• General Comments: mechanism involves increased work of breathing and stimulation of pulmonary receptors
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) (see Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, [[Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis]])
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) (see Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, [[Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis]])

Neuromuscular Disease

• General Comments: mechanism involves weakness with the inability to maintain work of breathing
• Bilateral Diaphragmatic Paralysi (see Bilateral Diaphragmatic Paralysis , [[Bilateral Diaphragmatic Paralysis ]])
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) (see Guillain-Barre Syndrome, [[Guillain-Barre Syndrome]])
• Myasthenia Gravis (see Myasthenia Gravis, [[Myasthenia Gravis]])
• Myopathy (see Myopathy, [[Myopathy]])
• Post-Polio Syndrome (see Polio Virus, [[Polio Virus]])
• Spinal Cord Injury (see Spinal Cord Injury, [[Spinal Cord Injury]])

Obstructive Lung Disease (see Obstructive Lung Disease, [[Obstructive Lung Disease]])

• General Comments: mechanism involves increased resistive load (from airway obstruction) and increased elastic load (from hyperinflation) -> increased work of breathing
• Upper Airway Obstruction (see Obstructive Lung Disease, [[Obstructive Lung Disease]])
• Tracheobronchial Airway Obstruction (see Obstructive Lung Disease, [[Obstructive Lung Disease]])
• Other Airway Obstruction
  • Asthma (see Asthma, [[Asthma]])
  • Bronchiectasis (see Bronchiectasis, [[Bronchiectasis]])
  • Bronchospasm of Any Etiology
    • Βeta Blockers (see β-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists, [[β-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists]])
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (see Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, [[Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease]])
  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF) (see Cystic Fibrosis, [[Cystic Fibrosis]])
  • Scombroid (see Scombroid, [[Scombroid]])

Pleural/Chest Wall Disease

• General Comments: mechanism involves decreased pleural/chest wall compliance with increased work of breathing
• Fibrothorax (see Fibrothorax, [[Fibrothorax]])
• Hemothorax (see Pleural Effusion-Hemothorax, [[Pleural Effusion-Hemothorax]])
• Kyphoscoliosis (see Kyphoscoliosis, [[Kyphoscoliosis]])
• Obesity (see Obesity, [[Obesity]])
• Pleural Effusion (see Pleural Effusion-Transudate, [[Pleural Effusion-Transudate]] and Pleural Effusion-Exudate, [[Pleural Effusion-Exudate]]))
• Pneumothorax (see Pneumothorax, [[Pneumothorax]])

Pulmonary Vascular Disease

• Acute Pulmonary Embolism (PE) (see Acute Pulmonary Embolism, [[Acute Pulmonary Embolism]])
• Pulmonary Hypertension (see Pulmonary Hypertension, [[Pulmonary Hypertension]])
  • Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) (see Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension, [[Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension]])
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH) (see Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, [[Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension]])

Drug/Toxin-Induced Lung Disease

• Diborane Gas Inhalation (see Diborane Gas, [[Diborane Gas]])
• Gemcitabine (see Gemcitabine, [[Gemcitabine]]): non-specific dyspnea occurring within hours-days of treatment
• Metal Fume Fever (see Metal Fume Fever, [[Metal Fume Fever]])
• Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (see Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome, [[Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome]])
• Polymer Fume Fever (see Polymer Fume Fever, [[Polymer Fume Fever]])
• Pontiac Fever (see Pontiac Fever, [[Pontiac Fever]])

Other

• Air Embolism (see Air Embolism, [[Air Embolism]])
• Hypoxemia of Any Etiology (see Hypoxemia, [[Hypoxemia]])
• Inadvertent Nasogastric (NG) Tube Placement Into Lung (see Nasogastric Tube, [[Nasogastric Tube]])

Cardiac Disease

Arrhythmias

• Atrial Fibrillation (AF) (see Atrial Fibrillation, [[Atrial Fibrillation]])
• Bradycardia (see Bradycardia, [[Bradycardia]])
• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) (see Supraventricular Tachycardia, [[Supraventricular Tachycardia]])
• Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) (see Ventricular Tachycardia, [[Ventricular Tachycardia]])

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (see Coronary Artery Disease, [[Coronary Artery Disease]])

• General Comments: flow-limiting coronary lesions limit myocardial oxygen delivery and may result in exertional dyspnea

Intracardiac Shunt

• Ruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm (see Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm, [[Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm]]): dyspnea is the most common complaint

Low Cardiac Output State

• Cardiogenic Shock of Any Etiology (see Cardiogenic Shock, [[Cardiogenic Shock]])
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) (see Congestive Heart Failure, [[Congestive Heart Failure]])
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (see Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, [[Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy]]): exertional dyspnea is the most common presenting symptom

Pericardial Disease

• Acute Pericarditis (see Acute Pericarditis, [[Acute Pericarditis]])
• Constrictive Pericarditis (see Constrictive Pericarditis, [[Constrictive Pericarditis]])
• Pericardial Effusion (see Pericardial Effusion, [[Pericardial Effusion]])
• Tamponade (see Tamponade, [[Tamponade]])

Valvular Heart Disease

• Aortic Stenosis (AS) (see Aortic Stenosis, [[Aortic Stenosis]])
• Mitral Stenosis (see Mitral Stenosis, [[Mitral Stenosis]])

Gastrointestinal Disease

• Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (see Abdominal Compartment Syndrome, [[Abdominal Compartment Syndrome]])
• Ascites (see Ascites, [[Ascites]])
• Esophageal Perforation (see Esophageal Perforation, [[Esophageal Perforation]])
• Pregnancy (see Pregnancy, [[Pregnancy]])
  • Dyspnea is common in pregnancy (due to progesterone secreted by placenta)
  • However, other causes of dyspnea which occur during pregnancy should not be discounted

Hematologic Disease

• Anemia (see Anemia, [[Anemia]]): typically, dyspnea occurs only with severe anemia (although may occur with less severe anemia in patients with pre-existing lung or cardiac disease)
• Hemoglobinopathy: due to decreased oxygen unloading at tissues
• Leukostasis (see Leukostasis, [[Leukostasis]])

Psychiatric Disease

• Anxiety Disorder
• Hyperventilation Disorder
• Panic Attack
• Psychogenic Dyspnea (see Psychogenic Dyspnea, [[Psychogenic Dyspnea]])

Other

• Deconditioning
• Hyperthyroidism (see Hyperthyroidism, [[Hyperthyroidism]])
• Metabolic Acidosis (see Metabolic Acidosis-Elevated Anion Gap, [[Metabolic Acidosis-Elevated Anion Gap]] and Metabolic Acidosis-Normal Anion Gap, [[Metabolic Acidosis-Normal Anion Gap]]): metabolic acidosis increases the work of breathing required to maintain normal pH

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References

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