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Hiccups

Tya-Mae Y Julien, M.D. Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

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

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
Leung AKC, Leung AAM, Wong AHC, et al. Hiccups: a non-systematic review. Curr Pediatr Rev. 2020;16(4):277–284. doi: 10.2174/1573396316666200508112951.
2
Thompson  DF, ...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Hosoya R, Uesawa Y, Ishii-Nozawa R, Kagaya H. Analysis of factors associated with hiccups based on the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. PLoS One. 20...

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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