Dyspnea
Conditions
Keywords
Dyspnea, Palliative Care, Heart Failure, Chronic Pulmonary Disease, Opioids
Brief summary
Dyspnea is a symptom that is growing in incidence, as respiratory and heart diseases are becoming more frequent. Patients suffering from dyspnea have a significant disabling due to chronic refractory dyspnea and crisis of irruptive dyspnea. Although there are several tools that may produce an improvement of symptom intensity, they are underused.
Detailed description
We sought to investigate whether if teaching interventions specifically addressed to medical staff improve the well-being of dyspneic patients. The MAIN GOAL of this study is to evaluate the effect of two talks (conveyed to doctors and nurses of Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine Departments) on the patient-perceived dyspnea. The contents of these talks will be prepared and supervised by Palliative Care specialists. This is a four-staged study that includes a first observational phase (prevalence study of dyspnea) followed by intervention and a third phase that will determine the effect of this teaching intervention. The fourth phase consists in the elaboration of specific protocols for management of dyspnea. A pharmacovigilance study of opioids will also take place.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTeaching talks
Two teaching talks specifically addressed to medical staff which concerns the adequate treatment and needs of dyspneic patients, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.
Sponsors
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Hospital admission with dyspnea as main symptom * Acceptance of participation in the study * Diagnosis of Chronic Respiratory Disease * Diagnosis of Chronic Heart Failure * Chronic Refractory Dyspnea higher than 1/10 and Irruptive Dyspnea higher than 2/10 degree by Rating Numerical Scale
Exclusion criteria
* Cognitive Impairment * Voluntary dropout.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Decrease the number of patients with advanced heart or chronic respiratory diseases who present chronic refractory dyspnea or irruptive dyspnea and do not receive adequate treatment. | One month | Decrease the number of patients admitted to Cardiology or Respiratory Medicine departments who present chronic respiratory dyspnea or irruptive dyspnea. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Describe the therapeutic tools (pharmacological and no pharmacological) employed for symptomatic treatment of dyspnea. | One month | Frequency of methods usage for dyspnea relief. |
| Evaluate the impact on dyspnea intensity associated with an implementation of educational talks addressed to medical staff in the management of dyspnea. | One year | Numerical Rating Scale score. |
| Number of patients that continue chronic treatment with opioids for chronic refractory dyspnea and irruptive dyspnea. | Three months | Number of patients that receive opioid treatment at three months of inclusion |
| Detect the prevalence of dyspnea in patients admitted to our hospital. | One month | Number of patients. |
| Determine the efficacy derived from a chronic treatment with opioids for chronic refractory dyspnea and irruptive dyspnea. | Three months | Dyspnea intensity by Numerical Rating Scale score |
| Determine the number of patients that present side effects derived from a chronic opioid treatment that require lowering dose or stopping treatment. | Three months | Number of patients that present side effects |
| Determine whether a specific educational talk would be affordable for dyspnea management | One month | Costs in euros invested in medical staff training |
| Determine the intensity and functional impact of dyspnea in patients admitted to our hospital. | One month | Dyspnea intensity by Numerical Rating Scale score |
Countries
Spain
Contacts
Primary ContactJuan Manuel Nuñez Olarte, M.D.
Backup ContactManuel Martínez-Sellés
Outcome results
None listed