title: The Effect of Using an Electric Fan on Dyspnea in Chinese Patients With Terminal Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fan therapy is often suggested for relieving the symptom of dyspnea in patients with advanced cancer, but relevant literature among Asians is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Phase 2 clinical trial to assess the clinical feasibility and outcome of using an electric fan to alleviate the symptom of dyspnea in Chinese patients with advanced cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with advanced cancer having unresolved breathlessness were recruited from Hospice and Palliative Care Centre of Kiang Wu Hospital in Macau. Participants were randomly and equally allocated to the experimental group and the control group, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Verbal numerical rating scale (NRS) of breathlessness, respiratory rate (RR), and saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2) was collected before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T test was used to analyze the data collected. There was a significant difference in the NRS scores of the experimental group ( P < .01), indicating a significant reduction in the patients' sensation of breathlessness after fan therapy, whereas no significant difference was found in the objective statistic results of RR and SpO2. No significant difference ( P > .05) was found in the control group for all the 3 variables before and after routine treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the study suggested that fan therapy could be effective in alleviating dyspnea in Chinese patients with advanced cancer. It should be considered as one of the nonpharmacological treatment option. Future large-scale phase 3 clinical trials are warranted.
authors.affiliation: 1 Hospice & Palliative Care Centre, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau, China.
authors.forename: Sio Leng
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: 2 Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, Macau, China.
authors.forename: Sok Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.affiliation: 1 Hospice & Palliative Care Centre, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau, China.
authors.forename: Cheng Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: 1 Hospice & Palliative Care Centre, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau, China.
authors.forename: Sut Peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: 3 Palliative Medical Unit, Grantham Hospital, Hong Kong, China.|4 Medical Palliative Medicine (MPM) Unit, Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Hon Wai Benjamin
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D014691:Ventilation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Chinese; advanced cancer; breathlessness; dyspnea; fan therapy; hospice; nonpharmacological; palliative