RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Puzzling Dyspnea Caused by Respiratory Muscle Weakness
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 396
OP 397
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2012.03.110220
VO 25
IS 3
A1 Adriana J. Pavletic
A1 Oleh Hnatiuk
YR 2012
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/25/3/396.abstract
AB Dyspnea is common in advanced stages of neuromuscular disorders, but it is infrequently the presenting symptom. However, dyspnea is a frequent complaint in a primary care setting but is rarely caused by a respiratory muscle weakness. Consequently, the diagnosis of respiratory muscle weakness often is delayed. First symptoms may occur when respiratory muscles are under increased load, such as when standing in the water higher than the chest, swimming, or in the supine position. We describe a patient in whom dyspnea was the first symptom of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to remind clinicians of clinical features of respiratory muscle weakness and to help avoid the delay in diagnosis.