Etymed
orthopnea
Definition
Breathing difficulty that occurs when lying flat and is relieved by sitting up or standing
Clinical context
A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with worsening shortness of breath over the past week. He reports that he can only breathe comfortably when sitting upright in a chair, and he has to prop himself up with multiple pillows at night to sleep. On examination, he has bilateral lower extremity edema and crackles in his lungs.
Mnemonic
Orthopnea: 'Ortho' = straighten up, 'pnea' = breathing difficulty when lying flat