Effect of fan for dyspnea in terminally ill cancer patients：Case series study

ABSTRACT

The effects of a fan to reduce dyspnea have been evaluated in several trials worldwide, however, there has been no clinical report in terminal cancer patients in Japan. We conducted a retrospective chart review to examine whether a fan is useful for dyspnea in terminally ill cancer patients. We reviewed medical and nursing records and selected all patients（<i>n</i>＝9）who received a fan from July 2013 and January 2014. The primary outcome measure was a decrease dyspnea measured by a visual analogue scale（VAS；0＝no shortness of breath, 100＝worst shortness of breath）. There was a significant difference in the VAS score after treatment with the fan（40.2±11.8 versus 15.6±14.9, <i>P</i>＝0.004）. Our results suggest that a fan may help in reduces the sensation of dyspnea in patients with terminal cancer. Future prospective study is needed.