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

Nursing Best Practice GuidelineRecommendation 1.2:Nurses will be able to identify stable and unstable dyspnea, and acute respiratory failure.(Level of Evidence =IV)(Refer to Table 1 for descriptors of disease severity as related to progressive clinical symptom.)Discussion of Evidence:Early recognition of exacerbation is key to the prevention of frequent hospitalization and possible acuterespiratory failure (O’Donnell et al, 2003). Nurses caring for patients dealing with COPD require a strongknowledge base and understanding of the symptoms reflective of acute exacerbation events. Developing aprocess for review and consistent approaches to treatment across settings will also strengthen a nurse’sability to teach and reinforce patient’s disease self-management strategies. Table 1 provides an overview ofthe key symptoms associated with the various levels of severity as compared to episodes of unstable andacute exacerbations.25