Rethinking Dyspnea Management: Moving Beyond Routine Opioid Use

Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom across clinical settings, yet recent evidence and updated European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines show that opioids offer minimal benefit for chronic or refractory dyspnea outside of end-of-life care. At the same time, recommendations remain inconsistent across specialties, creating confusion for clinicians.

In this Interprofessional Grand Rounds session, using the American Thoracic Society (ATS)’s COMFORT Model, attendees will explore practical, non-opioid strategies that address multidimensional contributors to dyspnea while supporting continuous assessment and team-based care. The session will also introduce validated tools, including the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale (RDOS), for assessing dyspnea in patients who are unable to self-report.