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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Possible causes of hyperventilation in the presence of a normal chest X-ray and no abnormal lung signs include:

  • psychiatric illness, e.g. hysteria
  • pulmonary emboli
  • initial stages of pulmonary oedema
  • an interstitial lung disease
  • hyperthyroidism
  • fever
  • metabolic acidosis, for example, diabetic ketoacidosis
  • weakness of the respiratory muscles
  • lymphangitis carcinomatosis
  • stimulation of the central nervous system:
    • drugs, e.g. salicylate poisoning
    • irritative lesions, e.g. cerebral tumours, stroke, infections

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