DSM-IV & DSM-IV-TR:

Panic Attack

Criteria for Panic Attack 
(cautionary statement)  

Note: A Panic Attack is not a codable disorder. Code the specific diagnosis in which the Panic Attack occurs (e.g., 300.21 Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia. 

A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes: 

(1) palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate 
(2) sweating 
(3) trembling or shaking 
(4) sensations of shortness of breath or smothering 
(5) feeling of choking 
(6) chest pain or discomfort 
(7) nausea or abdominal distress 
(8) feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint 
(9) derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself) 
(10) fear of losing control or going crazy 
(11) fear of dying 
(12) paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations) 
(13) chills or hot flushes

Reprinted with permission from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth Edition. Copyright 1994 American Psychiatric Association