ArticleBMC pulmonary medicine2019
Prevalence and management of chronic breathlessness in COPD in a tertiary care center.
Article in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multifactorial Determinants of Refractory Breathlessness in COPD: Development of the Refractory Breathlessness Score for Risk Stratification.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026Article
- Depression and Anxiety as Comorbidities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Dyspnea, anxiety, and death anxiety in patients with COPD.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Effects of Physical Exercise on Walking Distance and Functional Limitations in Patients with Chronic Dyspnea.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- Article
- Breathlessness assessment, management and impact in the intensive care unit: a rapid review and narrative synthesis.Annals of intensive care · 2024Review
- Pulmonary rehabilitation after severe exacerbation of COPD: a nationwide population study.Respiratory research · 2023Article
- Real-world opioid prescription to patients with serious, non-malignant, respiratory illnesses and chronic breathlessness.Internal medicine journal · 2022Article
- Health service utilisation associated with chronic breathlessness: random population sample.ERJ open research · 2021Article
- Opioids in patients with COPD and refractory dyspnea: literature review and design of a multicenter double blind study of low dosed morphine and fentanyl (MoreFoRCOPD).BMC pulmonary medicine · 2021Review
- Management of Refractory Breathlessness: a Review for General Internists.Journal of general internal medicine · 2021Review
- How to Assess Breathlessness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2021Review
- Indications and patterns of use of benzodiazepines and opioids in severe interstitial lung disease: a population-based longitudinal study.ERJ open research · 2021Article
- Use of short-acting opioids in the management of breathlessness: an evidence-based review.Current opinion in supportive and palliative care · 2020Review
- Breathlessness and opioid prescribing in COPD in general practice: a cross-sectional, observational study.ERJ open research · 2020Article
- How Physicians in South India Recognize, Assess, and Manage People with Chronic Breathlessness Syndrome: A Thematic Analysis.Indian journal of palliative careArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBreathlessness is the prominent symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite optimal therapeutic management including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, many COPD patients exhibit significant breathlessness. Chronic breathlessness is defined as breathlessness that persists despite optimal treatment of the underlying disease. Because of the major disability related to chronic breathlessness, symptomatic treatments including opioids have been recommended by several authors. The prevalence of chronic breathlessness in COPD and its management in routine clinical practice have been poorly investigated. Our aim was to examine prevalence, associated characteristics and management of chronic breathlessness in patients with COPD recruited in a real-life tertiary hospital-based cohort.
methodsA prospective study was conducted among 120 consecutive COPD patients recruited, in stable condition, at Nancy University Hospital, France. In parallel, 88 pulmonologists of the same geographical region were asked to respond to an on-line questionnaire on breathlessness management.
resultsSixty four (53%) patients had severe breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council scale≥3), despite optimal inhaled medications for 94% of them; 40% had undergone pulmonary rehabilitation within the past 2 years. The severity of breathlessness increased with increasing airflow limitation. Breathlessness was associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and with osteoporosis. No relation was found with other symptoms, exacerbation rate, or cardiovascular comorbidities. Among the patients with chronic breathlessness and Hospitalized Anxiety and/or Depression score > 10, only 25% were treated with antidepressant or anxiolytic. Among the pulmonologists 46 (52%) answered to the questionnaire and expressed a high willingness to prescribe opioids forchronic breathlessness, which contrasted with the finding that none of these patients received such treatments against breathlessness.
conclusionTreatment approaches to breathlessness and associated psychological distress are insufficient in COPD. This study highlights underuse of pulmonary rehabilitation and symptomatic treatment for breathlessness.
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Registered trials
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