Tachypnea
Encyclopedia
Tachypnea (Greek
: "rapid breathing") means rapid breathing. Any rate between 12-20 breaths per minute is normal. Tachypnea is a respiration rate greater than 20 breaths per minute.
Some describe tachypnea as any rapid breathing. Hyperventilation is then described as increased ventilation of the alveoli (which can occur through increased rate or depth of breathing, or both) where there is a smaller rise in metabolic carbon dioxide relative to this increase in ventilation. Hyperpnea, on the other hand, is defined as breathing more rapid and deep than breathing at rest.
Others give another classification: tachypnea is as any rapid breathing, hyperventilation is increased rate of breathing at rest, hyperpnea is an increase in breathing that is appropriately proportional to an increase in metabolic rate.
A third paradigm is: tachypnea is abnormally rapid respiration (though some may argue this is inaccurate as breathing differs from respiration), hyperventilation is increased rate or depth of respiration to abnormal levels causing decreased levels of blood carbon dioxide and hyperpnea is any increase in breathing rate or depth that is not normal.
. Amongst pathophysiological causes, tachypnea can be a symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning in which oxygen delivery to the tissues and organs is blocked causing hypoxia and direct cellular injury. It can also be a symptom of haemothorax or pneumothorax
.
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;...
: "rapid breathing") means rapid breathing. Any rate between 12-20 breaths per minute is normal. Tachypnea is a respiration rate greater than 20 breaths per minute.
Distinction from other breathing terms
Different sources produce different classifications for breathing terms.Some describe tachypnea as any rapid breathing. Hyperventilation is then described as increased ventilation of the alveoli (which can occur through increased rate or depth of breathing, or both) where there is a smaller rise in metabolic carbon dioxide relative to this increase in ventilation. Hyperpnea, on the other hand, is defined as breathing more rapid and deep than breathing at rest.
Others give another classification: tachypnea is as any rapid breathing, hyperventilation is increased rate of breathing at rest, hyperpnea is an increase in breathing that is appropriately proportional to an increase in metabolic rate.
A third paradigm is: tachypnea is abnormally rapid respiration (though some may argue this is inaccurate as breathing differs from respiration), hyperventilation is increased rate or depth of respiration to abnormal levels causing decreased levels of blood carbon dioxide and hyperpnea is any increase in breathing rate or depth that is not normal.
Causes
Tachypnea may have physiological or pathological causes. Both of these categories would include large lists of individual causes. For example, physiological causes of tachypnea include exercise and labour during pregnancyPregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
. Amongst pathophysiological causes, tachypnea can be a symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning in which oxygen delivery to the tissues and organs is blocked causing hypoxia and direct cellular injury. It can also be a symptom of haemothorax or pneumothorax
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
.
See also
- HypoventilationHypoventilationIn medicine, hypoventilation occurs when ventilation is inadequate to perform needed gas exchange...
, too shallow or too slow breathing - List of terms of lung size and activity
- Control of respirationControl of respirationControl of ventilation refers to the physiological mechanisms involved in the control of physiologic ventilation. Gas exchange primarily controls the rate of respiration.The most important function of breathing is gas exchange...