Skip to main content

Table 3 Aetiologies of the symptom “dyspnoea” in general practice

From: Studies of the symptom dyspnoea: A systematic review

N

Burri et al. 323

Charles et al. 5200

Frese et al. 93

Nielsen (2001) et al. 284

Nielsen et al. (2004) 345

Okkes et al.f Frese et al.f (Transition Project) 3743

Prädiktions-intervall [%]

Tau2

I2

P value

Random effects model

Simple respiratory infect (mostly viral)

---

587

37

---

---

1498

3.7–79.0

1.3146

99.8 %

<0.0001

---

11.3 %

39.8 %

40.1 %

10.5–12.2

29.9–50.5

38.5–41.6

Pneumonia

11

---

3

---

---

99

2.7–2.7

0

0 %

0.6907

2.7 [2.2–3.3]

3.4 %

3.2 %

2.6 %

1.8–6.2

0.8–9.8

2.2–3.2

COPD / chronic bronchitis

94

998

9

---

---

112

1.3–58.6

1.3833

99.3 %

<0.0001

---

29.1 %

19.2 %

9.7 %

3.0 %

24.3–34.4

18.1–20.3

4.8–18.0

2.5–3.6

Asthma / Allergy

---

1092

5

---

---

431

4.9–28.6

0.2632

98.6 %

<0.0001

---

21.0 %

5.4 %

11.5 %

19.9–22.1

2.0–12.7

10.5–12.6

Other pulmonary diseases (neoplasia, pulmonary embolism)

---

---

---

---

---

18

---

---

---

---

---

0.5 %

0.3–0.8

Heart failure

115

946

6

---

---

153

1.6–54.8

1.1580

99.3 %

<0.0001

---

35.6 %

18.2 %

6.5 %

4.1 %

30.4–41.1

17.2–19.3

2.7–14.1

3.5–4.8

Other cardiovascular diseases

---

650

9

---

20

79

0.6–40.6

1.3523

98.8 %

<0.0001

---

12.5 %

9.7 %

5.8 %

2.1 %

11.6-13.4

4.8–18.0

3.7–9.0

1.7–2.6

Psychosomatic cause

13

177

1

---

2

314

0.9–12.3

0.4524

96.5 %

<0.0001

---

4.0 %

3.4 %

1.1 %

0.1 %

8.4 %

2.3-7.0

2.9–3.9

0.06–6.7

0.1–2.3

7.5–9.3

Musculoskeletal cause

---

---

2

---

---

3

0.0–26.9

5.0575

92.3 %

0.0003

---

2.2 %

0.1 %

0.4-8.3

0.02–0.3

Obesity Lack of fitness

29

---

1

---

31

5

0.1–31.9

2.3909

96.6 %

<0.0001

---

9.0 %

1.1 %

9.0 %

0.1 %

6.2-12.8

0.06–6.7

6.3–12.6

0.05–0.3

Anaemia / metabolism

---

---

---

---

4

8

0.1–4.3

1.2567

86.9 %

0.0057

---

1.2 %

0.2 %

0.4-3.2

0.1–0.4

No diagnosis

61

447

12

42

62

529

7.0–26.3

0.1503

95.0 %

<0.0001

---

18.9 %

8.6 %

12.9 %

14.8 %

18.0 %

14.1 %

14.9-23.7

7.9–9.4

7.1–21.8

11.0–19.6

14.2–22.5

13.0–15.3

Other

---

a

b

c

d

e

  
  1. a-Diagnoses in 303 cases (5.8 %, CI 5.2–6.5) are not listed at article
  2. b-Sleep disorder: 1 (1.1 %, CI 0.06–6.7)
  3. -Prevention/no disease 2 (2.2 %, CI 0.4–8.3)
  4. -Diagnoses in 5 cases (5.4 %, CI 2.0–12.7) are not listed at article
  5. c-Heart failure (systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, valvular disease, secondary pulmonary hypertension): 48 (16.9 %, CI 12.8–21.9)
  6. -Lung disease (COPD, asthma, α-1 antitrypsin deficiency, restrictive lung disease, thoracic deformities, lung cancer, stenosis trachea): 100 (35.2 %, CI 29.7–41.1)
  7. -Combined heart and lung disease:40 (14.1 %, CI 10.4–18.8)
  8. -Other well defined reason: 54 (14.1 %, CI 10.4–18.8)
  9. d-Heart failure (systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, valvular disease, secondary pulmonary hypertension): 51 (14.8 %, CI 11.3–19.1)
  10. -Lung disease (COPD, asthma, α-1 antitrypsin deficiency, restrictive lung disease, thoracic deformities, lung cancer, stenosis trachea): 136 (39.4 %, CI 34.3–44.8)
  11. -Combined heart and lung disease: 30 (8.7 % CI 6.1–12.3)
  12. -Angina pectoris: 20 (5.8 CI 3.7–4.0)
  13. -Neurologic origin: 2 (0.6 % CI 0.1–2.3)
  14. -Hypertension: 2 (0.6 % CI 0.1–2.3)
  15. -Paroxysmal tachycardia: 1 (0.3, CI 0.02–1.9)
  16. -Intrathoracic goiter: 1 (0.3, CI 0.02–1.9)
  17. -Allergy: 1 (0.3, CI 0.02–1.9)
  18. -Side effect from medication: 1 (0.3, CI 0.02–1.9)
  19. -Malignant disease:1 (0.3, CI 0.02–1.9)
  20. e-Prevention/no disease 56 (1.5 %, CI 1.2–2.0)
  21. -Diagnoses in 441 cases (11.8 %, CI 10.8–12.9) are not listed at article
  22. fBoth studies from Frese and Okkes published data from the Transitions Project persist. Due to the more detailed data presentation, we extracted the data from the article from Frese et al
Back to article page

BMC Primary Care

ISSN: 2731-4553

Contact us