Clinical Case Database / Category: Patient Management

The obesity hypoventilation syndrome

Publication details

Ian S Stone, David E Simcock
Foundation Years Journal, volume 5, issue 9, p.98 (123Doc Education, London, October 2011)

Abstract

Obesity is a rapidly increasing health problem. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined as the combination of obesity (BMI>30), awake hypercapnia (PaCO2 >6 KPa) accompanied by sleep disordered breathing. The condition is under diagnosed and under appreciated, and puts a significant burden on health care, prolonging length of hospital stay and an increased need for intensive care and mechanical ventilation. Interrelating mechanisms thought to cause OHS include respiratory load and mechanics, central respiratory drive, sleep disordered breathing and leptin resistance. In this review, we will discuss the definition, clinical presentation and diagnosis as well as differential diagnosis of OHS. We will summarise the epidemiology, review the current understanding of the pathophysiology and discuss the recent advances in treatment.

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Authors

Ian S Stone

Specialist Registrar Respiratory Medicine

David E Simcock

Consultant Respiratory Physician
Department of Respiratory Medicine
Barts and The London NHS Trust London
Chest Hospital, London, E1 9JX
david.simcock@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk

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T​he Foundation Years Clinical Cases Database is​ a selection of 600 peer-reviewed clinical cases in the field of patient safety and clinical practice, specifically focused on the clinical information needs of junior doctors, based around the Foundation Year Curriculum programme (MMC). The cases have been chosen to align with the Foundation Year Curriculum.

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