Results of recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses found opioids were not necessarily associated with more effectiveness in treatment for patients with advanced cancer.Ensuring that the balance between side effects and adverse effects from medications and potential improvements from medications needs to be carefully considered before prescribing medication. The use of systematic corticosteriods in palliative care for people with cancer is common, however the effectiveness and potential adverse effects of this approach in adults with cancer has not been well studied. Epidemiology
Shortness of breath is the primary reason 3.5% of people present to the emergency department in the United States. Of these individuals, approximately 51% are admitted to the hospital and 13% are dead within a year. Some studies have suggested that up to 27% of hospitalized people develop dyspnea, while in dying patients 75% will experience it. Acute shortness of breath is the most common reason people requiring palliative care visit an emergency department. Up to 70% of adults with advanced cancer also experience dyspnoea. Etymology and pronunciation
English dyspnea comes from Latin dyspnoea, from Greek dyspnoia, from dyspnoos, which literally means "disordered breathing". Its combining forms (dys- + -pnea) are familiar from other medical words, such as dysfunction (dys- + function) and apnea (a- + -pnea). The most common pronunciation in medical English is  disp-NEE-ə, with the p expressed and the stress on the /niː/ syllable.
Headaches are also a symptom of dyspnea in patients with anaemia. Some patients report a numb sensation in their head, and others have reported blurred vision caused by hypotension behind the eye due to a lack of oxygen and pressure; these patients have also reported severe head pains, many of which lead to permanent brain damage. Symptoms can include loss of concentration, focus, fatigue, language faculty impairment and memory loss. Cancer
Shortness of breath is common in people with cancer and may be caused by numerous different factors. In people with advanced cancer, acute shortness of periods of time with severe shortness of breath may occur, along with a more continuous feeling of breathlessness. Other
Other important or common causes of shortness of breath include cardiac tamponade, anaphylaxis, interstitial lung disease, panic attacks, and pulmonary hypertension. Also, around 2/3 of women experience shortness of breath as a part of a normal pregnancy.Cardiac tamponade presents with dyspnea, tachycardia, elevated jugular venous pressure, and pulsus paradoxus. The gold standard for diagnosis is ultrasound.Anaphylaxis typically begins over a few minutes in a person with a previous history of the same. Other symptoms include urticaria, throat swelling, and gastrointestinal upset. The primary treatment is epinephrine.Interstitial lung disease presents with gradual onset of shortness of breath typically with a history of a predisposing environmental exposure. Shortness of breath is often the only symptom in those with tachydysrhythmias.Panic attacks typically present with hyperventilation, sweating, and numbness.