ORCID (Optional)
orcid=0000-0001-8771-197X
Document Type
Case Report
Disciplines
Higher Education | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pulmonology
Abstract
Cough is a common complaint in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Most cases are caused by upper airway syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma, bronchitis, or infections. Complications that can be life-threatening include syncope and arrhythmias. Our case is of a 67-year-old obese male who had a chronic cough that led to syncope. The chronic cough was present for months, non-responsive to symptomatic treatment, and negative on outpatient work up with no clear common causes leading to hospitalization. After extensive imaging and cardiopulmonary work up yielding normal results, his underlying obstructive sleep apnea and therapy noncompliance was a likely cause. After symptomatic treatment and positive pressure therapy compliance, his cough improved, and syncope resolved. Obstructive sleep apnea, commonly seen in obese individuals, may be a contributor to tussive syncope that has not been described in the literature, which healthcare providers should be aware of.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.32873/unmc.dc.gmerj.6.1.008
Keywords
obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, cough, syncope, tussive syncope
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Terzic, M., , Patel, Y. B. Breathless Laughter: Tackling Tussive Syncope in the Shadows of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Graduate Medical Education Research Journal. 2024 Jun 27; 6(1).
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/gmerj/vol6/iss1/9
Electrocardiogram displaying Normal Sinus Rhythm
