Disability Associated with Intractable Hiccups

 

Complications:

(1) impaired communication

(2) inability to eat or drink, with weight loss and dehydration

(3) exhaustion

(4) insomnia

(5) cardiac arrhythmias

(6) gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

(7) impaired ventilation

(8) depression

(9) impaired concentration

(10) interference with medical monitoring or testing (which may impede diagnosis)

(11) impaired recovery (wound dehiscence, other)

(12) occupational impairment

 

These complications can be measured using a Likert scale as follows.

Impairment	Points
none	0
minimal	1
mild	2
moderate	3
severe	4
extreme	5