Respiratory Alkalosis: Hysterical Hyperventilation

Charlotte Lind, a 55-year-old interior designer, has been terrified of flying ever since she had a bad experience on a commuter flight. Nevertheless, she and her husband planned a trip to Paris to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. As the time for the trip approached, Charlotte had what she called anxiety attacks. One evening, a few days before the scheduled flight to Paris, Charlotte started hyperventilating uncontrollably. She became light-headed, and her hands and feet were numb and tingling. She thought she was having a stroke. Her husband rushed her to the local emergency department, where a blood sample was drawn immediately (Table 419). The emergency department staff asked Charlotte to breathe into and out of a paper bag. A second blood sample was drawn (Table 420), Charlotte was pronounced well, and she returned home that evening.