Summary
Differentials
Common
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Congestive heart failure
- Asthma
- Pneumonia (bacterial, viral, fungal, tuberculous)
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
- Stable angina
- Interstitial lung disease
- Bronchiectasis
- Non-infective pneumonitis (eosinophilic, radiation, aspiration, hypersensitivity pneumonitis)
- Acute bronchitis
- Pulmonary embolism (thrombotic, air, amniotic fluid, tumour)
- Pleural effusion and pleural tumours
- Anaemia
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Ascites
- Shock
- Thyroid disease
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Normal ageing, deconditioning, and obesity
Uncommon
- Aortic dissection
- Pulmonary tumours
- Sarcoidosis
- Pulmonary contusion
- Laryngitis
- Epiglottitis
- Anaphylaxis
- Angio-oedema
- Foreign body aspiration
- Tracheobronchial tumours (benign or malignant)
- Retrosternal goitre
- Vocal cord dysfunction
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome
- Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
- Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum
- Pleuritis
- Haemothorax
- Arrhythmias
- Acquired valvular heart disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Cardiac drugs
- Myocardial disease (cardiomyopathy, myocarditis)
- Pericardial disease
- Superior vena cava syndrome
- Methaemoglobinaemia and carbon monoxide poisoning
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- Tetanus
- Botulism
- Phrenic nerve paralysis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Polio and other acute viral anterior horn infections
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Myasthenia gravis
- Respiratory muscle deficiency
- Paraneoplastic myasthenic syndrome
- Cushing syndrome
- Phaeochromocytoma
- Kyphoscoliosis and pectus excavatum
- Diphtheria
Contributors
Authors

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Chicago
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
NorthShore University HealthSystem
Evanston
IL
Disclosures
TJK declares that he has no competing interests.
Dr Tomasz J. Kuzniar would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Kamilla Kasibowska-Kuzniar and Dr Kaiser G. Lim, previous contributors to this monograph.
Disclosures
KK-K and KGL declare that they have no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician
North Bristol Lung Centre
Southmead Hospital
Bristol
UK
Disclosures
NM declares that he has no competing interests.
MRC Training Fellow and Specialist Registrar, Respiratory Medicine
Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine
Churchill Hospital
Oxford
UK
Disclosures
NR declares that he has no competing interests.
Assistant Professor
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Ohio State University Medical Center
Columbus
OH
Disclosures
JPP declares that he has no competing interests.
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