A study led by biomedical scientist Erica Heinrich at the University of California, Riverside, highlights a critical gap in how clinicians detect and treat breathing distress (dyspnea), particularly in patients on ventilators. The research is published in the journal Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology.

Dyspnea, the medical term for breathing discomfort or shortness of breath, is often hard to recognize. According to Heinrich, “it’s often very difficult to tell when a patient is experiencing breathing discomfort,” and current clinical approaches may be overlooking it.