Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 39, Issue 5 , Pages 831-838 , May 2010

Does the Use of a Handheld Fan Improve Chronic Dyspnea? A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial

  • Sarah Galbraith, BM

      Affiliations

    • Palliative Care Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Sarah Galbraith, BM, Palliative Care Service, Box 63, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.
    • ,
  • Petrea Fagan, Grad Dip Phys MCSP

      Affiliations

    • Palliative Care Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • Paul Perkins, MA (Hons) (Cantab) MB BCh, MA (Ethics and Law)

      Affiliations

    • Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leckhampton, United Kingdom
    • Sue Ryder Care Leckhampton Court Hospice, Leckhampton, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • Andrew Lynch, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Computational Biology Group, Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • Sara Booth, MD, FRCP

      Affiliations

    • Palliative Care Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

,Accepted 28 September 2009.

References 

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  3. Edmonds P, Karlsen S, Khan S, Addington-Hall J. A comparison of the palliative care needs of patients dying from chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Palliat Med. 2001;15:287–295
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  8. Freeman D, Price D. ABC of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Primary care and palliative care. BMJ. 2006;333:188–190
  9. Booth S. Improving research methodology in breathlessness—a meeting convened by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and Cicely Saunders Foundation. Palliat Med. 2006;20:219–220
  10. Abernethy A, Currow DC, Frith P. Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial of sustained release morphine for the management of refractory dyspnoea. BMJ. 2003;327:523–528
  11. Bruera E, MacEachern T, Ripamonte C, Hanson J. Subcutaneous morphine for dyspnea in cancer patients. Ann Intern Med. 1993;119:906–907
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  14. Baltzan M, Alter A, Rotaple M, Kamel H, Wolkove N. Fan to palliate exercise-induced dyspnea with severe COPD. [abstract] Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;161(Suppl 3):A59
  15. Marchetti N, Travaline JM, Criner GL. Air current applied to the face of COPD patients enhances leg ergometry performance. [abstract] Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004;169:A773
  16. Spence DP, Graham DR, Ahmed J, et al. Does cold air affect exercise capacity & dyspnoea in stable COPD?. Chest. 1993;103:693–696
  17. Wilcock A, Crosby V, Clarke D, Tattersfield A. Repeatability of breathlessness measurements in cancer patients. [letter] Thorax. 1999;54:375
  18. Gift AG, Narsavage G. Validity of the numeric rating scale as a measure of dyspnea. Am J Crit Care. 1998;7:200–204
  19. Grant S, Atchison T, Henderson E, et al. A comparison of the reproducibility and the sensitivity to change of visual analogue scales, Borg scales and Likert scales in normal subjects during submaximal exercise. Chest. 1999;116:1208–1216
  20. Jennings AL, Davies AN, Higgins JP, Gibbs JS, Broadley KE. A systematic review of the use of opioids in the management of dyspnoea. Thorax. 2002;57:939–944
  21. Bausewein C, Farquhar M, Booth S, Gysels M, Higginson IJ. Measurement of breathlessness in advanced disease: a systematic review. Respir Med. 2007;101:399–410
  22. Morris NR, Sabapathy S, Adams L, et al. Verbal rating scales are as reliable and sensitive as visual analogue scales for rating dyspnoea in young and older subjects. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2007;157:360–365
  23. Yorke J, Moosavi SH, Shuldham C, Jones PW. Quantification of dyspnoea using descriptors: development and initial testing of the Dyspnoea-12. Thorax. 2010;65:21–26
  24. McBride B, Whitelaw WA. A physiological stimulus to upper airway receptors in humans. J Appl Physiol. 1981;51:1189–1197
  25. Folgering H, Olivier O. The diving response depresses ventilation in man. Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1985;21:143–147
  26. Liss HP, Grant JB. The effect of nasal flow on breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988;137:1285–1288
  27. Simon PM, Basner RC, Weinberger SE, et al. Oral mucosal stimulation modulates intensity of breathlessness induced in normal subjects. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991;144:419–422
  28. Marchetti N, Criner GJ, Gaughan J, et al. Effect of air directed to the face on diaphragm electromyographic activity (EMGDia) during hypercapnic challenge [abstract]. Proceedings of the 100th Anniversary International Conference, American Thoracic Society, May 20–25, 2005, San Diego, CA, A789.

 Dr. Lynch was supported by Cancer Research UK (CUK) grant number C14303/A8646. Dr. Booth was partially supported by a SuPAC personal award and Cicely Saunders International during the period of the study. There were no conflicts of interest.

 Clinical Trials Registration: ISRCTN44193804.

PII: S0885-3924(10)00160-0

doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.09.024

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 39, Issue 5 , Pages 831-838 , May 2010

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