Abstract
Endocrinological or metabolic disorders often affect a wide variety of functions of the organism. This can also include an impairment of respiratory function. Diabetic ketoacidosis as a result of insulin deficiency is a typical metabolic acidosis, which the body tries to compensate by an increased exhalation of carbon dioxide. This leads to the classic picture of "Kussmaul" breathing. Due to the increased use of SGLT2 inhibitors, which can reduce the otherwise typical hyperglycemia and thus complicate diagnosis, the occurrence of diabetic ketoacidosis has remained an important differential diagnosis in recent years. Pathologies of the thyroid gland can lead to dyspnea not only by morphological changes, for example in the case of goiter (compression). Functional disorders must also be considered here. Both hypo- and hyperthyroidism affect the cardiovascular system in different ways and may ultimately lead to the clinical picture of dyspnea. If the corresponding entities are thought of, the laboratory diagnosis of the aforementioned metabolic/endocrinological disorders is then basically straightforward. Accordingly, knowledge of these disorders as a differential diagnosis of tachy- and dyspnea is important.
Schneiter, Roger