Nursing Care of Dyspnea: The 6th Vital Sign in Individuals with ...

Nursing Best Practice GuidelineAppendix P: Borg ScaleThe Borg scale is a categorical scale consisting of numbers and a set of verbal qualifiers. It is used tomeasure exertional dyspnea during cardiopulmonary exercise testing and training and is also referred to asa Rating of Perceived Dyspnea (RPD) scale. Originally, the Borg scale was developed to measure exertionand for this use is referred to as the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. The original RPE scale rangesfrom 6 to 20. This version is still used, particularly for measuring exertion in cardiac patients, as ratingscorrelate well with heart rate. A 10-point ratio scale was subsequently developed and is the version mostcommonly used to quantify dyspnea (RPD) and exertion (RPE) in COPD.Borg Scale0 Nothing at all0.5 Very, very slight (just noticeable)1 Very slight2 Slight3 Moderate4 Somewhat severe5 Severe67 Very severe89 Very, very severe (almost maximal)10 MaximalHow to use the Borg scale?The Borg scale should be reproduced in a large and easy-to-read format and explained to the patient priorto the exercise test or training session. The explanation should be standardized. If the dyspnea scale isbeing used during a graded exercise test, the standardized explanation might read as follows:“The purpose of this scale is to measure your shortness of breath during the exercise test. Ten correspondsto ‘maximal shortness of breath.’ It is important that you respond according to what you are feeling. At1-minute intervals and at the end of the test, I will ask you to point to the number that best representsyour shortness of breath.” (p. 351)Reprinted with permission: B. C. Decker, Inc.Bourbeau, J., Nault, D., & Borycki, E. (2002). Comprehensive management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hamilton,Ontario: B.C. Decker, Inc.135