Dyspnea control in people with lung cancer: nurse intervention

Abstract

Today, lung cancer has high incidence rates in the population, with a proportionally very high mortality rate. One of its most significant symptoms is dyspnea, which can be described as a respiratory discomfort that limits the daily life habits of a person and, eventually, lead to social isolation. This integrative literature review aims to identify the main strategies used for dyspnea control and management, as well as to clarify the nursing interventions with people who suffer from lung cancer. In order to do this, it has been made research in scientific databases, which, after applying previously established inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulted in nine articles. According to the collected evidence, we have implied that the most used strategies for dyspnea control consist in both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, with the nursing professionals having an important role in assessing and managing dyspnea, in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.
From this integrative literature review, we can state that there is a lack of evidence that clarifies the controversies surrounding the use of pharmacological methods and it is also important to get deeper knowledge about the benefits of the use of non-pharmacological methods, for dyspnea control.