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Adrian Gaty's avatar

I think I’d get myself into too much trouble joking about the “shortness of breast” typo so I’ll just say thanks for a great post! : )

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Benjamin Hourani's avatar

As per usual, Dr. Cifu’s article is enlightening, thought-provoking, and insightful.

Although my comment is not directly related to the content of the article, there is one pearl that has served me well in differentiating “shortness of breath“ in emergency situations.

The tachypnea of hyperventilation versus acidosis: In hyperventilation, the stimulus is neurobiological, and the emphasis is virtually always on inspiration. In the acidotic patient the emphasis is on expiration in an attempt to blow off as much CO2 as possible in an attempt to correct the acidosis. The diagnosis of DKA in the diabetic patient can often be made at the bedside, even before the glucose and pH is determined.

Ben Hourani MD

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