Hyperventilation. Benign symptom or harbinger of catastrophe?

Hyperventilation is a common feature of many acute clinical conditions that can be benign or potentially catastrophic. The symptoms accompanying hyperventilation are diverse and non-specific, reflecting a physiologic state of hypocapnia secondary to alveolar overventilation. Results of arterial blood gas analysis confirm hypocapnia and may lead to identification of the clinical cause, with pH or PaO2 measurements indicating acid-base abnormalities or hypoxemia. Treatment should be directed at correcting the underlying clinical condition. In patients whose hyperventilation is caused by anxiety states, anxiolytic drug therapy in the acute phase should be followed by education, reassurance, retraining to change breathing patterns, and psychotherapy.