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Hiccups - Management
Basis for recommendation
- Short bouts of hiccups are mostly associated with gastric distension or alcohol intake, and usually resolve spontaneously without requiring medical attention [Launois et al, 1993]. Treatment other than simple physical manoeuvres is rarely needed [Lewis, 1985].
- The suggested physical manoeuvres were included in reviews [Rousseau, 1995; Lewis, 2000] but are based on anecdotal reports rather than trial evidence [Lewis, 1985].
- People should be advised to return for further assessment if hiccups are prolonged because this often indicates an underlying disease process or injury [Launois et al, 1993; Schuchmann and Browne, 2007]. In a retrospective study, hiccups lasting more than 48 hours were more likely to be associated with an organic or anatomic cause [Cymet, 2002].
- CKS found no evidence to guide management of recurrent episodes of hiccups.
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