| Dyspnea: pathophysiology and assessment. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 9136233 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Dyspnea is frequently a multicausal and devastating symptom among advanced cancer patients. It occurs in 21%-78.6% of patients days or weeks before death and is often difficult to control. The genesis and pathophysiology of dyspnea as a symptom still has not been well understood. Dyspnea is frequently associated with abnormalities in the mechanisms that regulate normal breathing; however, the actual expression of dyspnea by a patient results from a complex interaction between the abnormalities in breathing and the perception of those abnormalities in the central nervous system. The production of dyspnea has to be related to the activation of mechanoreceptors both in the respiratory muscles and in the lung, even in the absence of increased muscle respiratory activity. Respiratory muscle weakness appears to be an important cause of dyspnea in malnourished, asthenic, and cachectic cancer patients. This might also explain why about 24% of dyspneic cancer patients do not present cardiac/pulmonary disease. In addition, two other possible mechanisms of dyspnea have been proposed: chemoreceptor stimulation and efferent activity from the respiratory center by direct ascending stimulation. These factors and the assessment tools used in patients with chronic dyspnea are summarized in this review. |
| | |
Authors:
|
C Ripamonti; E Bruera |
Related Documents
:
|
1516413 - Nocturnal nasal ippv stabilizes patients with cystic fibrosis and hypercapnic respirato... 11396283 - Effects of bronchoalveolar lavage volume on arterial oxygenation in mechanically ventil... 4652043 - Validity of the correlation of gallstones and pancreatic pathology. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Journal of pain and symptom management Volume: 13 ISSN: 0885-3924 ISO Abbreviation: J Pain Symptom Manage Publication Date: 1997 Apr |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 1997-05-27 Completed Date: 1997-05-27 Revised Date: 2006-08-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 8605836 Medline TA: J Pain Symptom Manage Country: UNITED STATES |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 220-32 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Division, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Disease Progression Dyspnea / diagnosis*, etiology, physiopathology* Humans Neoplasms / complications Respiration |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Opioid availability in Latin America: the Santo Domingo report progress since the Declaration of Flo...
Next Document: The inappropriate use of the epidural route in cancer pain.