Home · What to do · Shortness of breath: what to do

Shortness of breath: what to do

Sudden breathlessness can mean an asthma attack, pulmonary oedema, a clot in the lung or a panic attack. A pulse oximeter separates them in seconds: a saturation below 92–94 % is not anxiety but a real lack of oxygen, and it needs a crew with oxygen.

Call now +7 (985) 887-82-52dispatch line, 24/7 (Russian-speaking)

Write to usWhatsApp Telegram MAX

What to do right now

Sit them up
Sitting, leaning on the hands, legs down. Lying flat makes every kind of breathlessness worse except fainting.
Open a window, loosen the collar
Fresh air; do not use paper-bag breathing unless you are sure it is panic.
Measure the saturation
A finger pulse oximeter: 95 % and above is fine, 92–94 % is worrying, below 92 % means call.
Asthma — use the inhaler
Salbutamol two puffs, repeated after 20 minutes if there is no relief. More than three rounds without a doctor is not acceptable.
Cardiac patient with chest pain — nitroglycerine
Only if blood pressure is at least 100 and no erectile-dysfunction drugs were taken in the last day.

Call an ambulance if

Saturation below 92 %, blue lips
Breathlessness at rest, inability to speak in full sentences
Breathlessness with chest pain or a cough with pink frothy sputum
Sudden breathlessness after long bed rest, a flight or surgery — possible pulmonary embolism
Breathlessness with swelling of the face or tongue and hives
In a child — retraction between the ribs, wheezing, blue lips
An asthma attack not relieved by the inhaler

What not to do

Do not lay the person flat
Do not give sedatives when the cause is unclear — they depress breathing
Do not smoke or allow smoking nearby
Do not wait for it to "settle" if saturation is below 92 %

What the crew does

Saturation, ECG, chest auscultation, blood pressure
Oxygen by mask, nebulised bronchodilators and steroids for asthma
Diuretics and nitrates for cardiac dyspnoea, intensive treatment for pulmonary oedema
Admission by ICU ambulance with ventilation capability for respiratory failure

This page is for information and does not replace a medical examination. If the condition worsens, call the crew: +7 (985) 887-82-52.

This page in Russian: Russian version.

Questions

Breathlessness or a panic attack — how do I tell?

In panic the saturation stays normal, the attack lasts 10–30 minutes and there is fear and tingling in the fingers. In real breathlessness saturation falls, lips turn blue and speech becomes difficult. A pulse oximeter answers in a second.

How much does a call-out with oxygen cost in Moscow?

Call-out 6,000 ₽ inside the MKAD, oxygen by the price list per 30 minutes, inhalation and injections by the list. An ICU crew call-out is 15,000 ₽.

Do we need an oxygen concentrator at home?

For chronic respiratory failure, yes, as prescribed by a pulmonologist. In an acute situation a concentrator does not replace a crew: it delivers little oxygen and treats no cause.