Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Respiratory system

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

Alternative Names:

Pickwickian syndrome

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of OHS are due to sleep deprivation, which results from sleep loss and poor sleep quality (see obstructive sleep apnea).

Excessive daytime sleepiness
Falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day
Increased risk for accidents or errors at work
Depression

In addition, symptoms of chronic hypoxia (low blood oxygen level) can also occur, such as shortness of breath or fatigue after minimal physical effort.

Signs and tests:

Persons with OHS are usually very overweight. Physical signs that suggest OHS include:

Cyanosis (bluish coloration of the lips, fingers, toes, or skin)
Signs of right heart failure (cor pulmonale), including:
- Swollen legs or feet
- Shortness of breath or easy fatigue on minimal effort

Tests done to confirm the diagnosis include:

Arterial blood gas
Sleep study

Review Date: 1/26/2002
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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