ERJ Open Research: shortness of breath during hospitalization increases the risk of death by 6 times.
If a patient begins to experience shortness of breath after being admitted to the hospital, it is a serious warning sign. A study from Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, published in the journal ERJ Open Research, found that shortness of breath increases the risk of death sixfold, while pain does not affect the likelihood of a fatal outcome.
The study involved nearly 10,000 hospitalized adults. Nurses asked patients twice a day to rate their level of shortness of breath on a scale from 0 to 10 — just as pain is typically assessed. Data analysis over two years showed that the higher the shortness of breath score, the greater the risk of death, transfer to intensive care, or emergency assistance. Among patients discharged with persistent shortness of breath, a quarter died within six months, while among others, only 7 percent did.
Researchers explain that shortness of breath is an early physiological signal that the body is lacking oxygen and is struggling to eliminate carbon dioxide. In their view, this symptom deserves no less attention than pulse, blood pressure, and temperature.
The authors suggest incorporating the assessment of shortness of breath into the standard set of vital signs: a brief questionnaire takes less than a minute but can save lives by helping to timely recognize the deterioration of a patient's condition.
