PALPRAC

Effective Management of Dyspnoea in Palliative Care: Assessment and Multimodal Treatment

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Short course

Course type

1 hour

Study time

Online

Mode of learning

3 CPD points

3 Clinical
(70% average required)

Course overview

The Effective Management of Dyspnoea in Palliative Care course is designed for South African Junior Doctors, Interns, Nurses and Pharmacists. This focused course is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge and skills to assess and manage dyspnoea in palliative care.

Each section will guide you toward specific learning outcomes, ensuring that you can recognise, evaluate, and treat breathlessness using both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions.

While this course concentrates on the practical management of dyspnoea, it may not replace the need for specialised palliative care input. Supporting patients with breathlessness is a core responsibility of healthcare providers, and by the end of this course, you will be better prepared to provide safe, effective and compassionate care to patients and their families.
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Who is this course for?

South African Junior Doctors, Interns, Nurses and Pharmacists

Required qualification

The necessary healthcare qualifications for doctors, nurses and pharmacists (or students of these)

Course level

This course is aimed at a Beginner-Intermediate Level. 

Develop your professional skills

Why choose this course?

The Learning Objectives of this course include being able to:

  1. Describe the common causes and mechanisms of dyspnoea in someone with an advanced life-threatening illness.
  2. Assess dyspnoea holistically, including physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions.
  3. Recognise reversible causes and red flags that require urgent intervention.
  4. Apply evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions to relieve breathlessness.
  5. Understand the role, benefits, and risks of pharmacological interventions such as opioids, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, oxygen and inhaled therapy.
  6. Prescribe opioids safely and effectively for refractory breathlessness.
  7. Support patients and families with education, reassurance and practical coping strategies.
  8. Manage dyspnoea compassionately in the terminal phase, prioritising comfort and dignity.

About the academic institution

PALPRAC is a national network of healthcare professionals dedicated to improving quality of life for people living with serious illness. Founded in 2018, we bring together doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to deliver compassionate, person-centred palliative care across Southern Africa. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, we equip multidisciplinary teams to relieve suffering, support dignity, and honour what matters most to patients and their families. We support healthcare professionals to be change agents in their own settings, and we engage with the wider health system to drive the changes needed to ensure everyone has access to quality palliative care. All healthcare professionals are welcome to join, with membership options to suit every role and level of experience.

Over 300 members

Various healthcare providers 

Spread across South Africa

PALPRAC contact info

  info@palprac.org

Follow PALRAC on social media

Course Lessons

  • Certificate included

    Upon successful completion of this course - including achieving a minimum score of 70% in the assessment, as required by the HPCSA - you will receive a certificate of completion from PALPRAC, a name synonymous with excellence in professional development.

 

Course developer

Palliative Care Medical Physician
Dr Leana Spies
Dr Spies is a Palliative Care Medical Officer with Beacon of Care NGO in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal. She provides holistic, patient-centred care to individuals with serious illnesses, supporting patients and families through advanced symptom management, psychosocial support, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Leana obtained her MBChB from Stellenbosch University in 2011, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma (2018) and Master’s Degree (2020) in Palliative Medicine from the University of Cape Town. Her master’s research explored the experiences of adolescents and young adults living with cancer in the Northern Cape public health system.

With over a decade of clinical experience in oncology and palliative medicine, including time at Groote Schuur Hospital and North West Hospice in Ireland, Leana is deeply committed to the advancement of palliative care in South Africa. A founding member of PALPRAC, she continues to advocate for compassionate, evidence-based, and equitable access to palliative care across diverse healthcare settings.
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