Role of the nurse counsellor in managing patients with the hyperventilation syndrome.
A hyperventilation clinic was established specifically to deal with patients referred from the accident and emergency department with the hyperventilation syndrome. This was run by a staff nurse, who counselled the patients and taught abdominal breathing techniques and relaxation. In 30 patients so managed, 63% said their symptoms were much better or had completely gone and in only 6% was there no improvement; 43% had previously had more than one attendance at the A&E department, but following treatment only 2 patients represented during 5 months of follow up. The use of a nurse counsellor seems to be a simple and effective approach to managing these patients and considerably reduces both casualty and outpatient physician time.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D012380:Role