What is tachypnea

Tachypnea is a medical term to describe fast respiratory rate that is greater than the normal for age and shallow breathing from a lung disease or other medical cause. A normal breathing rate for an adult at rest is 8 to 16 breaths per minute. For an infant, a normal rate is up to 44 breaths per minute. The term hyperventilation is usually used if you are taking rapid, deep breaths. Some causes of hyperventilation include extreme anxiety or panic, asthma, emphysema, head injury, fever, exposure to altitude above 2000 m (6000 ft), and some medicines. The terms tachypnea and hyperventilation are sometimes used interchangeably.

Tachypnea is generally considered a medical emergency (unless anxiety is the only cause). If you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), use your inhaler medicines as prescribed by your doctor. You may still need to be checked by a doctor right away if you have rapid shallow breathing. Your doctor will explain when it is important to go to the emergency room.

Tachypnea causes

Shallow, rapid breathing has many possible medical causes, including:

• Asthma
• Blood clot in an artery in the lung
• Choking
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic lung diseases
• Heart failure
• Infection in the smallest air passages of the lungs in children (bronchiolitis)
• Pneumonia or other lung infection
• Transient tachypnea of the newborn
• Anxiety and panic
• Other serious lung disease

Tachypnea symptoms

Tachypnea is a medical term to describe fast and shallow breathing.

Tachypnea diagnosis

Your doctor will do a thorough exam of your heart, lungs, abdomen, and head and neck.

Tests that may be ordered include:

• Arterial blood gas and pulse oximetry to check your oxygen level
• Chest x-ray
• Chest CT scan
• Complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistries
• ECG
• Ventilation/perfusion scan of your lungs
• Comprehensive metabolic panel to check the body’s chemical balance and metabolism

Tachypnea treatment

Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the rapid breathing. Treatment may include oxygen if your oxygen level is too low. If you are having an asthma or a COPD attack, you’ll receive treatment to stop the attack.

Hyperpnea vs Tachypnea

Hyperpnea in increased volume with or without an increased rate of breathing. Blood gasses are normal ¹.

Tachypnea vs Hyperventilation

Tachypnea is a medical term to describe fast and shallow breathing from a lung disease or other medical cause. Hyperventilation is over-ventilation above that needed for the body’s CO2 elimination. Hyperventilation results in a decrease in PaCO2 and respiratory alkalosis ¹. Hyperventilation can be driven by chemoreceptor stimulation due to metabolic acidosis. It causes a decrease in the amount of a gas in the blood (called carbon dioxide, or CO2). This decrease may make you feel light-headed, have a rapid heartbeat, and be short of breath. It also can lead to numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, anxiety, fainting, and sore chest muscles.

Some causes of sudden hyperventilation include anxiety, fever, some medicines, intense exercise, and emotional stress. Hyperventilation also can occur because of problems caused by asthma or emphysema or after a head injury. But it occurs most often in people who are nervous or tense, breathe shallowly, and have other medical conditions, such as lung diseases or panic disorder. Women experience hyperventilation more often than men. Most people who have problems with hyperventilation are 15 to 55 years old. Hyperventilation may occur when people travel to elevations over 2000 m (6000 ft). Symptoms can be similar to symptoms that are caused by another, more serious medical problem, such as a lung problem.

Acute (sudden) hyperventilation is usually triggered by acute stress, anxiety, or emotional upset. Chronic (recurring) hyperventilation may be an ongoing problem for people with other diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, or lung cancer.

Many women have problems with hyperventilation during pregnancy, but it usually goes away on its own after delivery.

Hyperventilation is not a disease, but you may need to be checked by your doctor if you have repeated episodes of hyperventilation symptoms. If you have recurring symptoms, you might be diagnosed with a condition called hyperventilation syndrome.

Treatment for hyperventilation depends on the cause. Home treatment is usually all that is needed for mild hyperventilation symptoms. Medical treatment may be needed for hyperventilation symptoms that are moderate to severe, that last for long periods of time, that come back, or that interfere with your daily activities. Medical treatment usually includes reassurance, stress reduction measures, breathing lessons, or medicine.

In many cases, hyperventilation can be controlled by learning proper breathing techniques.

Symptoms of hyperventilation

Symptoms of hyperventilation usually last 20 to 30 minutes and may include:

• Feeling anxious, nervous, or tense.
• Frequent sighing or yawning.
• Feeling that you can’t get enough air (air hunger) or need to sit up to breathe.
• A pounding and racing heartbeat.
• Problems with balance, light-headedness, or vertigo.
• Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or around the mouth.
• Chest tightness, fullness, pressure, tenderness, or pain.

Other symptoms may occur less frequently, and you may not realize they are directly related to hyperventilation. These symptoms can include:

• Headache.
• Gas, bloating, or burping.
• Twitching.
• Sweating.
• Vision changes, such as blurred vision or tunnel vision.
• Problems with concentration or memory.
• Loss of consciousness (fainting).

Transient tachypnea of the newborn

Transient tachypnea of the newborn is a term for a mild respiratory problem of babies that begins after birth and lasts about three days. “Transient” means temporary and tachypnea means fast breathing rate. Other terms for transient tachypnea of the newborn are “wet lungs” or type 2 respiratory distress syndrome.

About 1 to 2 percent of all newborns develop transient tachypnea of the newborn. Although premature babies can have transient tachypnea of the newborn, most babies with this problem are full-term. Transient tachypnea of the newborn may be more likely to develop in babies delivered by cesarean section because the fluid in the lungs does not get squeezed out as in a vaginal birth.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn is more likely to occur in babies who were:

• Born before 38 weeks gestation (early term)
• Delivered by C-section, especially if labor has not already started
• Born to a mother with diabetes
• Male

Transient tachypnea of the newborn causes

As the baby grows in the womb, the lungs make a special fluid. This fluid fills the baby’s lungs and helps them grow. When the baby is born at term, chemicals released during labor tell the lungs to stop making this special fluid. The baby’s lungs start removing or reabsorbing it. During labor, the baby’s lungs start to clear the fluid out to get ready for that first breath of air. The first few breaths a baby takes after delivery fill the lungs with air and help to clear most of the remaining lung fluid. It is thought that leftover fluid in the baby’s lungs causes tachypnea in newborn. This fluid makes it harder for the small air sacs of the lungs to stay open and the baby breathes faster to get the oxygen he or she needs.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn symptoms

The following are the most common symptoms of transient tachypnea of the newborn. However, each baby may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• Rapid breathing rate (over 60 breaths per minute)
• Grunting sounds with breathing
• Flaring of the nostrils when breathing in.
• The baby’s skin may be slightly blue around the nose and mouth.
• Retractions (pulling in at the ribs with breathing)

The symptoms of transient tachypnea of the newborn may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your baby’s doctor for a diagnosis.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn diagnosis

Chest X-rays are often used to help diagnose transient tachypnea of the newborn. On X-ray, the lungs show a streaked appearance and appear overinflated. X-rays are a diagnostic test that uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film. However, it may be difficult to tell whether the problem is transient tachypnea of the newborn or another kind of respiratory problem, such as respiratory distress syndrome also known as hyaline membrane disease. Often, transient tachypnea of the newborn is diagnosed when symptoms suddenly resolve by the third day of life.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn treatment

Specific treatment for transient tachypnea of the newborn will be determined by your baby’s doctor based on:

• Your baby’s gestational age, overall health, and medical history
• Extent of the condition
• Your baby’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the condition
• Your opinion or preference

Treatment may include:

• Supplemental oxygen given by mask on the baby’s face or by placing the baby under an oxygen hood
• Blood tests (to measure blood oxygen levels)
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A mechanical breathing machine that pushes a continuous flow of air or oxygen to the airways to help keep tiny air passages in the lungs open.

Tube feedings may also be necessary if the baby’s breathing rate is too high, because of the risk of aspiration of the food.

Your baby may be given an antibiotic until your doctor is sure that your baby doesn’t have an infection.

Once transient tachypnea of the newborn goes away, the baby usually recovers quickly and has no increased risk for additional respiratory problems or other chronic problems.

Transient tachypnea of the newborn prognosis

Transient tachypnea of the newborn most often goes away within 24 to 48 hours after delivery. In most cases, babies who have had transient tachypnea have no further problems from the condition. They will not need special care or follow-up other than their routine checkups.

Late preterm or early term babies (born about 2 to 6 weeks before their due date) who have been delivered by C-section without labor may be at risk for a more severe form known as “malignant transient tachypnea of the newborn.”

1. Whited L, Graham DD. Abnormal Respirations. [Updated 2019 Jan 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470309[↩][↩]