Yu Qian1, Yuan Wu2, Aline Rozman de Moraes3, Xue Yi4, Yimin Geng5, Seyedeh Dibaj6, Diane Liu6, Jane Naberhuis3, Eduardo Bruera7. 1. Department of Thoracic Cancer, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. 3. Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. 4. Department of Hematology, Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan, China. 5. Research Medical Library, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. 6. Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. 7. Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: ebruera@mdanderson.org.
Abstract
CONTEXT: The use of a handheld or electric fan has been proposed as one component of the complex clinical interventions used in the relief of dyspnea; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding its efficacy. OBJECTIVES: We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea. METHODS: We searched the Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all fan therapy studies published from January 1, 1946 to September 31, 2018. The search terms included "dyspnea," "dysponea," "dyspneic," "short of breath," "shortness of breath," "breathless," "breathlessness," "breathing difficulty," "labored breathing," and "fan." Searches were limited to articles in English or Chinese. The bibliographies of identified articles were also manually searched. Three authors independently assessed papers for inclusion. RESULTS: Ten of the 92 unique records identified met the inclusion criteria (nine randomized controlled trials and one cohort study). Most studies (80%) were conducted in the hospital setting, and none were double blinded. Nearly half (159 [46%]) of the 344 total subjects had cancer. The most common nonmalignant disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most common duration of fan therapy was five minutes. Six studies (60%) reported a significant improvement in dyspnea with fan therapy. There are two ongoing trials being conducted based on a search of trial registries. CONCLUSION: Limited direct evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates that fan therapy may effectively alleviate dyspnea. Additional trials are warranted to confirm this finding and explore the use of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea in more diverse populations and settings.
CONTEXT: The use of a handheld or electric fan has been proposed as one component of the complex clinical interventions used in the relief of dyspnea; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding its efficacy. OBJECTIVES: We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea. METHODS: We searched the Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all fan therapy studies published from January 1, 1946 to September 31, 2018. The search terms included "dyspnea," "dysponea," "dyspneic," "short of breath," "shortness of breath," "breathless," "breathlessness," "breathing difficulty," "labored breathing," and "fan." Searches were limited to articles in English or Chinese. The bibliographies of identified articles were also manually searched. Three authors independently assessed papers for inclusion. RESULTS: Ten of the 92 unique records identified met the inclusion criteria (nine randomized controlled trials and one cohort study). Most studies (80%) were conducted in the hospital setting, and none were double blinded. Nearly half (159 [46%]) of the 344 total subjects had cancer. The most common nonmalignant disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most common duration of fan therapy was five minutes. Six studies (60%) reported a significant improvement in dyspnea with fan therapy. There are two ongoing trials being conducted based on a search of trial registries. CONCLUSION: Limited direct evidence from randomized controlled trials indicates that fan therapy may effectively alleviate dyspnea. Additional trials are warranted to confirm this finding and explore the use of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea in more diverse populations and settings.
Authors: Susan R Hopkins; Paolo B Dominelli; Christopher K Davis; Jordan A Guenette; Andrew M Luks; Yannick Molgat-Seon; Rui Carlos Sá; A William Sheel; Erik R Swenson; Michael K Stickland Journal: Ann Am Thorac Soc Date: 2021-03