RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Postural nausea due to platypnea orthodeoxia
JF BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
JO BMJ Support Palliat Care
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP bmjspcare-2019-001918
DO 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001918
A1 Victoria Bradley
A1 Nikant Sabharwal
A1 Elizabeth MacGregor
A1 Charles Bond
YR 2019
UL http://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2019/09/07/bmjspcare-2019-001918.abstract
AB Platypnea orthodeoxia is an uncommon condition but given its associations with severe lung disease and advancing age, it might be seen in the palliative care population. Presentation is classical in the association of symptoms with postural change. It should be considered when patients present with breathlessness or desaturation given the minimally invasive tests of echocardiography, and the potential for procedural resolution of the defect and thus symptoms. Further, there has not previously been reported a case presenting with nausea (rather than dyspnoea) secondary to platypnea orthodeoxia syndrome. This unusual presentation is a reminder that there is a broad range of potential subjective experiences of the same physiological events. Careful history and examination are vital in elucidating the underlying cause.