What is it about?

The Delphi method was conducted to achieve consensus among clinician experts representing diverse fields from Europe, North America and Austraila on the definition of a new clinical term for persistent breathlessness (dyspnea). The group defined 'chronic breathlessness syndrome' as 'breathlessness that persists despite optimal treatment of the underlying pathophysiology and that results in disability.' This term complements 'dyspnea crisis' defined previously by an American Thoracic Society workshop group [doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201306-169ST]

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Why is it important?

The delineation of chronic breathlessness syndrome provides focus for directed systematic clinical enquiry, including targeted interventions, and for medical education on symptom assesssment and management. The term also creates a common language for researchers who study the epidemiology, clinical experience, diagnosis, and treatment of breathlessness..

Perspectives

For the name of the syndrome, articipants agreed on the term 'breathlessness' in favor of the synonymous term 'dyspnoea' because breathlessness was thought to be more readily recognized and understood by patients. The group also decided that a stated duration is not needed for 'chronic' in the context of the proposed definition that highlights persistence beyond optimal treatment of the underlying pathophysiology.

Dr John Hansen-Flaschen
University of Pennsylvania

We hope this article stimulates clinicians to see patients in a new light and to start routinely seeking this syndrome, and to make sure they know about their local services that may help. We hope it will give patients the confidence to go back to their doctors and nurses to ask for help, rather than assuming this is inevitable and just something they have to put up with themselves.

Miriam Johnson

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Towards an expert consensus to delineate a clinical syndrome of chronic breathlessness, European Respiratory Journal, May 2017, European Respiratory Society (ERS),
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02277-2016.
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