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ForwardDyspnea in Patients with Serious Illness
Course Description
Practical management for one of the most common and distressing symptoms in advanced illness.
After completing this course, learners will have the tools they need to manage dyspnea, including the physical causes of shortness of breath and the emotional impact on the patient.
*This course is free to ATS members.
Target Audience
All critical care, sleep and pulmonary medicine professionals and physicians.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the learners should be able to:
- Describe the clinical presentation of dyspnea.
- Discuss the physical and emotional impact of dyspnea on patients with a serious illness, and their caregivers.
- List the four possible mechanisms of dyspnea.
- Identify two non-pharmacologic and one pharmacologic strategy for managing dyspnea.
- Detail the treatment approach for treating dyspnea with cough.
- Discuss the evidence for six dyspnea treatments, including sustained release opioids, nebulized furosemide, nebulized opioids, supplemental oxygen, pleural catheters, and thoracentesis.
Supplemental Material
- PDF 1-Pager link
- ATS Patient Education Documents link(s)
- ATS Journals
Acknowledgment
This course module was produced in collaboration with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Activity of this course module is eligible for CME. Click on the accreditation tab to see accreditation and registration information.
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2025 American Thoracic Society. Any unauthorized use of any materials on the site may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws. You may view, copy, and download information or software ("Materials") found on the Site subject to the following terms, conditions, and exceptions:
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Faculty
Brittany Chambers, MPH, MCHES
Director of Health Equity and Special Initiatives
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN
Co-Director, Palliative APRN Externship; Adjunct Associate Professor for the University of Maryland,
Baltimore School of Pharmacy, PhD in Palliative
Baltimore, MD
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Kesha Wall Graham, LISW-CP, APHSW-C, ACM
Outpatient Clinical Social Worker
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Diane Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM
Founder, Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Co-director, Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center
Professor, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Catherine Gaisman Professor of Medical Ethics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Employment | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Sean M. Marks, MD
Associate Professor, Clinical Cancer Center - Froedtert Hospital
Medical College of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Lolita Melhado, PhD., MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC, ACHPN
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, DNP Program
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Sherika Newman, DO
Founder, Doctor in the Family
Atlanta, GA
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Drew A. Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM
Associate Professor, Departments of Family Medicine & Community Health and Internal Medicine
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Michelle Turner, M.Ed., BBA
Continuing Education Program Manager
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Evan Zazula, DMin, MAPCC
Chaplain, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Planning Committee
Angela Suen, MD
Pulmonologist/Critical Care, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program
San Francisco, CA
Disclosures
Grant/Contract | NIH Office of the Director
Intellectual Property |Review Article "Approach to Chronic Cough"
Anna Gersten, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
John Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
Baltimore, MD
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Lauren R. Pollack, MD, MS
Faculty, Clinical Research
University of Washington Medical Center
Health Sciences Building
Seattle, WA
Disclosures
Consultant| SimulConsult
Michelle M. Milic, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care and Palliative Care Medicine
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, D.C.
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Brynn Bowman, MPA
Chief Executive Officer, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Assistant Professor, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Andrew E. Esch, MD, MBA
Director, Palliative Care Program Development, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Anand S. Iyer MD, MSPH
Associate Professor, Medicine - Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care Medicine
UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and School of Nursing
Birmingham, AL
Disclosures
Medscape, Verona Pharma | Speaking fee
National Institute of Aging, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs | Grant/Contract
Lynn F. Reinke, PhD, APRN, BC, ATSF
Clinical Professor, College of Nursing
The University of Utah
201 Presidents Circle
Salt Lake City, UT
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Donald R. Sullivan, MD, MA, MRes
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine
Co-leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Associate Director, KL2 Program, Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute
Portland, OR
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Amy Skiba
Executive Director, Lung Transplant Foundation
Cary, NC
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Carrie Smith, MS, CAE
Chief Education Officer, Learning Education Programs
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Jennifer Siegel-Gasiewski, MPA
Director of Lifelong Learning
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Suzette Machado, MPA, CHCP
Associate Director, Accreditation of ATS Learning Programs
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org)
All relevant financial relationships have been reviewed and mitigated.
Accredited Provider
Provided by the American Thoracic Society (ATS)
Accreditation Statement – American Thoracic Society
The American Thoracic Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Physician Credit Designation (American Thoracic Society)
The American Thoracic Society designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org)
Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use:
ATS and CAPC require CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. ATS and CAPC do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 Participation
Price
If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download.
CME Certificates of credit/attendance will be awarded based on the participant attending the activity, completing and submitting an evaluation and attesting to the credits earned. A CME certificate will be available upon successful completion.
All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a certificate of participation.
The system keeps track of your progress. If you close the activity and resume it later, it will re-start where you left off.
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