Etymed
dyspnea
Definition
Medical term for shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Clinical context
A 65-year-old male presents to the emergency department complaining of sudden onset shortness of breath that started while he was walking to his car. He describes it as a feeling that he cannot get enough air and has been progressively worsening over the past hour. On examination, he is using accessory muscles to breathe and has bilateral wheezing.
Mnemonic
Dyspnea = 'D'ifficult 'S'hortness of 'P' breath, 'N'ot getting enough air