TY - JOUR
T1 - Battery operated fan and chronic breathlessness
T2 - Does it help?
AU - Barnes-Harris, Matilda
AU - Allgar, Victoria
AU - Booth, Sara
AU - Currow, David
AU - Hart, Simon
AU - Phillips, Jane
AU - Swan, Flavia
AU - Johnson, Miriam J.
PY - 2019/12/3
Y1 - 2019/12/3
N2 - Objectives: To examine whether use of a hand-held fan ('fan') improves breathlessness and increases physical activity. Methods: A secondary exploratory analysis using pooled data from the fan arms of two feasibility randomised controlled trials in people with chronic breathlessness: (1) fan and activity advice vs activity advice, (2) activity advice alone or with the addition or the â € calming hand', or the fan, or both. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis to explore patient characteristics associated with benefit (eg age, sex, diagnosis, general self-efficacy). Results: Forty-one participants were allocated the fan (73 years (IQR 65-76, range 46-88), 59% male, 20 (49%) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), three (7%) heart failure, three (7%) cancer). Thirty-five (85%) reported that the fan helped breathing, and 22 (54%) reported increased physical activity. Breathlessness benefit was more likely in older people, those with COPD and those with a carer. However, due to the small sample size none of these findings were statistically significant. Those with COPD were more likely to use the fan than people with other diagnoses (OR 5.94 (95% CI 0.63 to 56.21, p=0.120)). Conclusions: These exploratory data support that the fan helps chronic breathlessness in most people and adds new data to indicate that the fan is perceived to increase people's physical activity. There is also a signal of possible particular benefits in people with COPD which is worthy of further study.
AB - Objectives: To examine whether use of a hand-held fan ('fan') improves breathlessness and increases physical activity. Methods: A secondary exploratory analysis using pooled data from the fan arms of two feasibility randomised controlled trials in people with chronic breathlessness: (1) fan and activity advice vs activity advice, (2) activity advice alone or with the addition or the â € calming hand', or the fan, or both. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis to explore patient characteristics associated with benefit (eg age, sex, diagnosis, general self-efficacy). Results: Forty-one participants were allocated the fan (73 years (IQR 65-76, range 46-88), 59% male, 20 (49%) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), three (7%) heart failure, three (7%) cancer). Thirty-five (85%) reported that the fan helped breathing, and 22 (54%) reported increased physical activity. Breathlessness benefit was more likely in older people, those with COPD and those with a carer. However, due to the small sample size none of these findings were statistically significant. Those with COPD were more likely to use the fan than people with other diagnoses (OR 5.94 (95% CI 0.63 to 56.21, p=0.120)). Conclusions: These exploratory data support that the fan helps chronic breathlessness in most people and adds new data to indicate that the fan is perceived to increase people's physical activity. There is also a signal of possible particular benefits in people with COPD which is worthy of further study.
KW - airflow
KW - breathlessness
KW - dyspnoea
KW - fan
KW - physical activity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065520496&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001749
DO - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001749
M3 - Article
C2 - 31068332
AN - SCOPUS:85065520496
VL - 9
SP - 478
EP - 481
JO - BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
JF - BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
SN - 2045-435X
IS - 4
ER -