Abnormal breathlessness is a common symptom with a wide variety of causes and it can
be quite a challenge to diagnose the cause and plan appropriate treatment. Practice
nurses are often the first point of contact for patients with these conditions and play an
important role as part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. This article completes a
series of three on causes of breathlessness (‘The breathless patient: is it asthma or COPD?’ Vol 2,
Issue 1, December 2007 and ‘Respiratory causes of breathlessness.’ Vol 2, Issue 2, March 2008).
