Lactate: panicking doctor or panicking patient?
We report a case of a 51-year-old man with a first panic attack associated with high serum lactate due to hyperventilation induced alkalosis. Hyperlactataemia may trigger somatically oriented tests and divert attention from diagnosing panic disorder (PD). Factors associated with underdiagnosis of PD as well as pathophysiology of hyperlactataemia will be discussed.
University Hospital Maastricht, Cardiology, P Debeylaan 25, Maastricht, 6229HX, The Netherlands. spjderidder@yahoo.com
Stijn
S
de Ridder
Petra
P
Kuijpers
Harry
H
Crijns
D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*
D007773:Lactates