- Hypoventilation
SignSymptom infobox
Name = PAGENAME
Caption =
DiseasesDB = 29214
ICD10 = ICD10|R|06|8|r|00
ICD9 =
ICDO =
OMIM =
MedlinePlus =
eMedicineSubj = med
eMedicineTopic = 3470
MeshID = D007040
Inmedicine , hypoventilation (also known as respiratory depression) occurs when ventilation is inadequate ("hypo" means "below") to perform neededgas exchange . It generally causes an increased concentration ofcarbon dioxide (hypercapnia ) andrespiratory acidosis . It can be caused by medical conditions, by holding one's breath, or by drugs, typically when taken inoverdose . Hypoventilation may be dangerous for those withsleep apnea .As a side effect of medicines or
recreational drug s, hypoventilation may become potentially life-threatening. Many different CNSdepressant drugs such as alcohol,benzodiazepines ,barbiturates , GHB andopiates produce respiratory depression when taken in large or excessive doses; however this is most commonly seen as a cause of death with opiates or opioids, particularly when they are combined with sedatives such as alcohol or benzodiazepines. Strong opiates, (fentanyl ,heroin ,morphine , etc) andbarbiturates are notorious for producing this effect; in an overdose, an individual may cease breathing entirely (go intorespiratory arrest ) which is rapidly fatal without treatment.Respiratory stimulants such as
nikethamide were traditionally used to counteract respiratory depression from CNS depressant overdose, but were of only limited effectiveness. A new respiratory stimulant drugBIMU8 is currently being investigated which seems to be significantly more effective and may be useful for counteracting the respiratory depression produced by opiates and similar drugs without offsetting their therapeutic or recreational effects.A disorder referred to as "
Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome " or "CCHS" is recognized. This condition may be a significant factor in some cases ofsudden infant death syndrome or "cot death".The opposite condition is
hyperventilation (too much ventilation), resulting in low carbon dioxide levels (hypocapnia ), rather than hypercapnia.ee also
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Dyspnea
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