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Breathlessness - Management
Basis for recommendation

Investigating acute breathlessness of uncertain cause

  • Recommended investigations are based on expert opinion to identify the common causes of acute breathlessness [Zoorob and Campbell, 2003].

Investigating suspected acute asthma or an acute exacerbation of COPD

  • Investigations to confirm the diagnosis and distinguish COPD from asthma are based on expert opinion reported in the British Guideline on the management of asthma: a national clinical guideline [SIGN and BTS, 2009] and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults in primary and secondary care [NICE, 2010].

Investigating suspected acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis

    • Recommendations are based on expert opinion reported in the British thoracic society guideline for non-CF Bronchiectasis [British Thoracic Society, 2010].

Investigating suspected lung/lobar collapse or pleural effusion

  • Chest radiography is recommended by experts because of the lack of reliability of clinical findings to confirm the diagnosis [Gibson, 2010].

Investigating suspected community-acquired pneumonia

  • Recommendations on when investigations are appropriate in people who are well enough to be managed in the community are based on expert opinion reported in British Thoracic Society guidelines on The management of community acquired pneumonia [British Thoracic Society, 2001; British Thoracic Society, 2009].

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