Fan therapy may offer relief for patients with advanced cancer experiencing breathlessness
Blowing air from a fan into the face of patients with advanced cancer experiencing breathlessness, and other nonpharmacologic interventions, may offer symptom relief, according to new research directed by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators. On the other hand, the investigators found medications, such as opioids, had limited impact in improving breathlessness.
In a systematic review of 29 randomized clinical trials of breathlessness in 2,423 adults with advanced cancer, researchers found several nonpharmacological interventions were associated with improved breathlessness, including fan therapy and bilevel ventilation (air pressure delivered through a face mask covering the mouth and nose). These results were published in the Nov. 19 issue of the journal
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Blowing air from a fan into the face of patients with advanced cancer experiencing breathlessness, and other nonpharmacologic interventions, may offer symptom relief, according to new research directed by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators. On the other hand, the investigators found medications, such as opioids, had limited impact in improving breathlessness.
In a systematic review of 29 randomized clinical trials of breathlessness in 2,423 adults with advanced cancer, researchers found several nonpharmacological interventions were associated with improved breathlessness, including fan therapy and bilevel ventilation (air pressure delivered through a face mask covering the mouth and nose). These results were published in the Nov. 19 issue of the journal
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Fan therapy and bi-level ventilation helped relieve breathlessness lasting for a few minutes to a few hours for patients with advanced cancers admitted to the hospital.