Platypnea
Encyclopedia
In medicine
, platypnea refers to shortness of breath (dyspnea) that is relieved when lying down, and worsens when sitting or standing up. It is the opposite of orthopnea. The word is derived from the Greek
platus (= flat) and pnoia (=breath).
Platypnea is due to either hepatopulmonary syndrome
or an anatomical cardiovascular defect increasing positional right-to-left shunt
ing (bloodflow from the right to the left part of the circulatory system
). These defects include rare syndromes in which the venous blood from the liver does not pass through the lungs, or if venous blood from the portal circulation reaches the inferior vena cava
without passing through the liver (Abernethy malformation, type 1).
Insufficiency of abdominal muscles causes lower diaphragm position and dyspnea. In clinostatism, abdominal organs push the diaphragm in its normal, upper position, reducing the respiratory effort.
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, platypnea refers to shortness of breath (dyspnea) that is relieved when lying down, and worsens when sitting or standing up. It is the opposite of orthopnea. The word is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
platus (= flat) and pnoia (=breath).
Causes
- left atrial thrombus
- left atrial tumors
- pulmonary A-V Fistula
Platypnea is due to either hepatopulmonary syndrome
Hepatopulmonary syndrome
In medicine, hepatopulmonary syndrome is a syndrome of shortness of breath and hypoxemia caused by vasodilation in the lungs of patients with liver disease...
or an anatomical cardiovascular defect increasing positional right-to-left shunt
Right-to-left shunt
A right-to-left shunt is a cardiac shunt which allows blood to flow from the right heart to the left heart. This terminology is used both for the abnormal state in humans and for normal physiological shunts in reptiles...
ing (bloodflow from the right to the left part of the circulatory system
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
). These defects include rare syndromes in which the venous blood from the liver does not pass through the lungs, or if venous blood from the portal circulation reaches the inferior vena cava
Inferior vena cava
The inferior vena cava , also known as the posterior vena cava, is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the right atrium of the heart....
without passing through the liver (Abernethy malformation, type 1).
Insufficiency of abdominal muscles causes lower diaphragm position and dyspnea. In clinostatism, abdominal organs push the diaphragm in its normal, upper position, reducing the respiratory effort.