MRC Dyspnoea Score

Dyspnoea should be assessed with a validated instrument such as the MRC (Medical Research Council) dyspnoea score. This defines five grades of breathlessness related to normal activities and patients are asked to select the level that best describes how breathlessness affects them. The five levels are:

1 Not troubled by breathlessness except on strenuous exercise
2 Short of breath when hurrying or walking up a slight hill
3 Walks slower than contemporaries on level ground because of breathlessness, or has to stop for breath when walking at own pace
4 Stops for breath after walking about 100 metres or after a few minutes on level ground
5 Too breathless to leave the house, or breathless when dressing or undressing.