Improving outcomes for people living with breathlessness

Abstract

Breathlessness affects many people living in the community. Lucy Tymon and Catherine Best look at how practice nurses can improve outcomes in those living with this distressing symptom The need for a holistic assessment is an essential element in the management of breathlessness in both chronic and advanced disease and requires a multidisciplinary and multifactorial approach to the safe and effective delivery of quality patient care. Although a multitude of potential interventions exist, these should be considered carefully alongside the need to maintain comfort and the patient's wishes. With this in mind, this article explores a number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to patient care in chronic and advanced disease, the emphasis being on patient choice, patient understanding and the need for compassion, often at a time when patients are living through, what could potentially be, their last few months of life.