Acute-onset Breathlessness: An Unexpected Etiology?

Acute-onset breathlessness has multifactorial causes where early spotting of etiology assists in prompt treatment of these cases. Other than usual causes, an often-neglected cause, especially in adults, is non-asphyxiating foreign body aspiration. Here, we describe a case of a 40-year-old male who had aspirated an organic foreign body under alcohol intoxication and presented with symptoms of acute-onset breathlessness and severe hypoxia. Prompt diagnosis and bronchoscopy-guided removal result in a quick recovery of symptoms in the index patient. How to cite this articleAnbalagan LC, Muthu V, Pannu AK, Saroch A. Acute-onset Breathlessness: An Unexpected Etiology? Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(2):231-234.