Overview
- An ERJ Open Research study of 9,785 adults at Beth Israel Deaconess found that patients who developed shortness of breath during admission were six times more likely to die in hospital.
- Nurses recorded patient-reported dyspnoea twice daily on a 0–10 scale, revealing a dose–response pattern in which higher scores tracked with higher mortality risk.
- The symptom predicted greater use of rapid response teams and intensive care transfers during hospitalization.
- Among patients discharged while short of breath at rest, 25% died within six months compared with 7% among those without dyspnoea.
- Pain ratings showed no clear association with mortality, and experts call for routine dyspnoea checks alongside external validation and interventional studies.