Respiratory Medicine Health Channel

	Feature Article Illustrations for this article Click on an image below to enlarge Respiratory system Respiratory alkalosis Definition Respiratory alkalosis is a condition marked by low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood due to breathing excessively. See also: Alkalosis Alternative Names Alkalosis - respiratory Causes, incidence, and risk factors Common causes include: Anxiety Fever Hyperventilation Any lung disease that leads to shortness of breath can also result in respiratory alkalosis. Symptoms The symptoms may include: Dizziness Light-headedness Numbness of the hands and feet Signs and tests Arterial blood gas Chest x-ray Pulmonary function test Treatment Treatment is aimed at the condition that causes respiratory alkalosis. Breathing into a paper bag -- or using a mask that causes you to re-breathe carbon dioxide -- sometimes helps reduce symptoms. Expectations (prognosis) The prognosis is based on the condition that causes the respiratory alkalosis. Complications Seizures may occur if the alkalosis is extremely severe. This is very rare. Calling your health care provider Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms of lung disease, such as chronic cough or shortness of breath. References Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000: 192-193. Marx J, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, Adams JF. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2006. Continue reading this article

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Respiratory acidosis (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
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Common cold (2 Videos, 3 Images) Average Rating: (Doctor-Reviewed information)
The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms. Over 200 viruses can cause a cold. Reviewer: D. Scott Smith, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/08/2006
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ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition that causes lung swelling¿and fluid build up in the air sacs. ARDS is a medical emergency. While ARDS shares some similarities with infant respiratory distress syndrome, its causes and treatments are different. Reviewer: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/03/2006
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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus. This virus¿causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. It can cause serious respiratory infections in young babies, especially those in certain high-risk groups. Reviewer: Daniel Rauch, M.D., FAAP., Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/26/2007
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious form of pneumonia, caused by a virus isolated in 2003. Infection with the SARS virus results in acute respiratory distress (severe breathing diffculty) and sometimes death. It is a dramatic example of how quickly world travel can spread a disease. It is also an example of how quickly a networked health system can respond to an emerging threat. Background Information: This contagious respiratory infection was first described on Feb. 26, 2003. SARS was identified as a new disease by World Health Organization (WHO) physician Dr. Carlo Urbani. He diagnosed it in a 48-year-old businessman who had traveled from the Guangdong province of China, through Hong Kong, to Hanoi, Vietnam. The businessman died from the illness. Dr. Urbani subsequently died from SARS on March 29, 2003, at the age of 46. In the meantime, SARS was spreading, and within 6 weeks of its discovery, it had infected thousands of people around the world, including people in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. Schools had closed throughout Hong Kong and Singapore. National economies were affected. The WHO had identified SARS as a global health threat, and issued an unprecedented travel advisory. Daily WHO updates tracked the spread of SARS seven days a week. It wasn't clear whether SARS would become a global pandemic, or would settle into a less aggressive pattern. The rapid, global public health response helped to stem the spread of the virus, and by June 2003, the epidemic had subsided to the degree that on June 7 the WHO backed off from its daily reports. Nevertheless, even as the number of new cases dwindled, and travel advisories began to be lifted, the sober truth remained: every new case had the potential to spark another outbreak. SARS appears to be here to stay, and to have changed the way that the world responds to infectious diseases in the era of widespread international travel. Reviewer: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 01/29/2007
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Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is most commonly a complication seen in premature infants. The condition makes it difficult to breathe. Reviewer: Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford UniversitySchool of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief MedicalOfficer, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/05/2007
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