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Hiccups

Ravishankar E Rao, MD and Stephanie M Bouwer, DO Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Hiccups are caused by a repetitive sudden involuntary contraction of the inspiratory muscles (predominantly the diaphragm) and terminated by the abrupt closure of the glottis, which ...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Hiccup attacks usually occur at brief intervals and last seconds or minutes. Persistent bouts lasting >48 hours often imply an underlying physical or metabolic disorder.

  • Intractable hiccup...

TREATMENT

  • Outpatient (usually)

  • Inpatient (if elderly, debilitated, or intractable hiccups)

  • Many hiccup treatments are purely anecdotal.

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Evaluate frequent bouts or persistent hiccups.

  • Treat...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

Until hiccups cease 

DIET

Avoid gastric distension from overeating, carbonated beverages, and aerophagia. 

PATIENT EDUCATION

See “General Measures.”...

REFERENCES

1
Witter  F, Dipietro  J, Costigan  K, et al. The relationship between hiccups and heart rate in the fetus. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.  2007; 20(4): 289– 292. ...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Chang  FY, Lu  CL. Hiccup: mystery, nature and treatment. J Neurogastroenterol Motil.  2012; 18(2): 123– 130.  [View Abstract]

  • ...

CODES

ICD10

  • R06.6 Hiccough

  • F45.8 Other somatoform disorders

SNOMED

  • 65958008 Hiccoughs (finding)

  • 191955009 Psychogenic hiccough

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Most hiccups resolve spontaneously.

  • An organic cause is more likely in men and individuals with intractable hiccups.

  • Rule out foreign body in the ear canal as a trigger.

  • Baclofen and gaba...

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