Abstract
Background Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare disease entity that is characterized by dyspnea and desaturation in the upright position that resolves when the patient is in the supine position. Case Report An 80-year-old man presented with epistaxis but was noted to be hypoxic and was unresponsive to supplemental oxygenation. His oxygen saturation improved with supine positioning, however, which is consistent with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome. This improved with overnight intravenous hydration. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? In patients with hypoxia and paradoxical improvement in oxygen saturation with supine positioning, consider platypnea-orthodeoxia as a potential cause.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 482-484 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Journal of Emergency Medicine |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2016 |
Keywords
- hypovolemia
- hypoxia
- platypnea-orthodeoxia
- platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine