Management of Dyspnea in Japanese Respiratory Wards and Palliative Care Units

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the current status and characteristics of management for dyspnea in respiratory wards (RW) and palliative care units (PCU) in Japan. Methods: A survey was conducted among nurses who agreed to participate (112 nurses from RW and 92 nurses from PCU) at RW and PCU with over 20 beds in core cancer care hospitals in Japan. The self-completed questionnaire contained 27 items covering background information and details of patient care. The frequency of application of each care procedure was compared between RW and PCU using the chi-squared test. Results: There were no significant differences in the background factors between the two groups. Nurses from PCU had a significantly lower performance rate for four items on patient care (p‹.05), including breathing methods and assisted sputum removal, whereas those from RWs had a significantly lower performance rate for 11 items (p‹.05), including environmental adjustment and providing instructions for the family. Conclusions: Although nurses from both institutions provided basic dyspnea care, such as postural adjustment and touching, RW nurses exhibited lower rates of providing instruction to patient families, whereas PCU nurses exhibited lower rates of breathing care. Therefore, positive efforts to address such concerns are required.