Prevalence of Dyspnea Among Hospitalized Patients at the Time of Admission.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Dyspnea is an uncomfortable and distressing sensation experienced by hospitalized patients.

Objectives

There is no large-scale study of the prevalence and intensity of patient-reported dyspnea at the time of admission to the hospital.

Methods

Between March 2014 and September 2016, we conducted a prospective cohort study among all consecutive hospitalized patients at a single tertiary care center in Boston, MA. During the first 12 hours of admission to medical-surgical and obstetric units, nurses at our institution routinely collect a patient's 1) current level of dyspnea on a 0-10 scale with 10 anchored at "unbearable," 2) worst dyspnea in the past 24 hours before arrival at the hospital on the same 0-10 scale, and 3) activities that were associated with dyspn

SUBMITTER: Stevens JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6317868 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature