Desktop Helper No.17 - Breathlessness in adults: A practical guide for primary care clinicians

Up to 10% of the population experiences long-term breathlessness (lasting more than four weeks), a symptom that has a widespread impact on those living with it and which often leads to emergency presentation if the underlying conditions are not well managed.^1-3 It is also highly associated with lower quality of life and poorer prognosis.^4-6 This desktop helper offers practical steps to primary care clinicians for the assessment and management of adults with long-term (chronic) distressing and disabling breathlessness. It aims to improve the consultation both for the individual and the clinician and offers practical ways to deal with this difficult symptom.

The working group that produced this resource also organised two sessions on breathlessness at our 12th World Conference in Athens in May 2024: a plenary expanding on the background to the Desktop Helper, and a workshop offering practical interventions for primary care use structured around breathing, thinking and functioning.