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. 2023 Aug 17;15(8):e43668. doi: 10.7759/cureus.43668

Table 4. Search strategy.

Search Search strategy
MEDLINE #1 dyspnea[mh]
#2 dyspnea[tiab]
#3 dyspnoea[tiab] 
#4 breathless[tiab]
#5 breathlessness[tiab]
#6 labored breathing[tiab]
#7 shortness of breath[tiab]
#8 breath shortness[tiab]
#9 inspiratory retraction[tiab]
#10 breathing difficulty[tiab]
#11 #3 NOT #2
#12 #1 OR#2 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9 OR #10 OR #11
#13 air flow[tiab]
#14 fan[tiab]
#15 #13 OR #14
#16 #12 AND #15
((((((((((dyspnea[MeSH Terms]) OR (dyspnea[Title/Abstract])) OR (breathless[Title/Abstract])) OR (breathlessness[Title/Abstract])) OR (labored breathing[Title/Abstract])) OR (shortness of breath[Title/Abstract])) OR (breath shortness[Title/Abstract])) OR (inspiratory retraction[Title/Abstract])) OR (breathing difficulty[Title/Abstract])) OR ((dyspnoea[Title/Abstract]) NOT (dyspnea[Title/Abstract]))) AND ((air flow[Title/Abstract]) OR (fan[Title/Abstract])) 
Embase S1 EMB.EXACT.EXPLODE(“dyspnea”)
S2 ab(dyspnea) OR ti(dyspnea)
S3 ab(dyspnoea) OR ti(dyspnoea) 
S4 ab(breathless) OR ti(breathless)
S5 ab(breathlessness) OR ti(breathlessness)
S6 ab(labored breathing) OR ti(labored breathing)
S7 ab(shortness of breath) OR ti(shortness of breath)
S8 ab(breath shortness) OR ti(breath shortness)
S9 ab(inspiratory retraction) OR ti(inspiratory retraction)
S10 ab(breathing difficulty) OR ti(breathing difficulty)
S11 S3 NOT S2
S12 S1 OR S2 OR S4 OR S5 OR S6 OR S7 OR S8 OR S9 OR S10 OR S11
S13 ab(fan) OR ti(fan)
S14 ab(air flow) OR ti(air flow)
S15 S13 OR S14
S16 S12 AND S15
((((((((((dyspnea/exp) OR (dyspnea:ti,ab)) OR (breathless:ti,ab)) OR (breathlessness:ti,ab)) OR ('labored breathing':ti,ab)) OR ('shortness of breath':ti,ab)) OR ('breath shortness':ti,ab)) OR ('inspiratory retraction':ti,ab)) OR ('breathing difficulty':ti,ab)) OR ((dyspnoea:ti,ab) NOT (dyspnea:ti,ab))) AND (('air flow':ti,ab) OR (fan:ti,ab))
CENTRAL #1 MeSH descriptor: [dyspnea] explode all trees
#2 (dyspnea):ti, ab, kw
#3 (dyspnoea):ti, ab, kw
#4 (breathless):ti,ab, kw
#5 (breathlessness):ti, ab, kw
#6 (labored breathing):ti, ab, kw
#7 (shortness of breath):ti, ab, kw
#8 (breath shortness):ti, ab, kw
#9 (inspiratory retraction):ti, ab, kw
#10 (breathing difficulty):ti, ab kw
#11 #3 NOT #2
#12 #1 OR #2 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9 OR #10 OR #11
#13 (air flow):ti, ab, kw
#14 (fan):ti, ab, kw
#15 #13 OR #14
#16 #12 AND #15
(((((((((([mh dyspnea]) OR (dyspnea:ti,ab)) OR (breathless:ti,ab)) OR (breathlessness:ti,ab)) OR ("labored breathing":ti,ab)) OR ("shortness of breath":ti,ab)) OR ("breath shortness":ti,ab)) OR ("inspiratory retraction":ti,ab)) OR ("breathing difficulty":ti,ab)) OR ((dyspnoea:ti,ab) NOT (dyspnea:ti,ab))) AND (("air flow":ti,ab) OR (fan:ti,ab))
CINAHL S1 MH (dyspnea) 
S2 TI (dyspnea) OR AB (dyspnea)
S3 TI (dyspnoea) OR AB (dyspnoea)
S4 TI (breathless) OR AB (breathless)
S5 TI (breathlessness) OR AB (breathlessness)
S6 TI (labored breathing) OR AB (labored breathing)
S7 TI (shortness of breath) OR AB (shortness of breath) 
S8 TI (breath shortness) OR AB (breath shortness)
S9 TI (inspiratory retraction) OR AB (inspiratory retraction)
S10 TI (breathing difficulty) OR AB (breathing difficulty)
S11 S3 NOT S2
S12 S1 OR S2 OR S4 OR S5 OR S6 OR S7 OR S8 OR S9 OR S10 OR S11
S13 TI (air flow) OR AB (air flow)
S14 TI (fan) OR AB (fan) 
S15 S13 OR S14
S16 S12 AND S15
(((((((((((MH dyspnea+)) OR ((TI dyspnea OR AB dyspnea))) OR ((TI breathless OR AB breathless))) OR ((TI breathlessness OR AB breathlessness))) OR ((TI "labored breathing" OR AB "labored breathing"))) OR ((TI "shortness of breath" OR AB "shortness of breath"))) OR ((TI "breath shortness" OR AB "breath shortness"))) OR ((TI "inspiratory retraction" OR AB "inspiratory retraction"))) OR ((TI "breathing difficulty" OR AB "breathing difficulty"))) OR (((TI dyspnoea OR AB dyspnoea)) NOT ((TI dyspnea OR AB dyspnea)))) AND (((TI "air flow" OR AB "air flow")) OR ((TI fan OR AB fan)))
WHO-ICTRP Condition: dyspnea OR dyspnoea OR breathless OR breathlessness OR labored breathing OR shortness of breath OR breath shortness OR inspiratory retraction OR breathing difficulty
Intervention: fan OR air
ClinicalTrials.gov Condition or disease: Dyspnea OR dyspnoea OR breathless OR breathlessness OR labored breathing OR shortness of breath OR breath shortness OR inspiratory retraction OR breathing difficulty
Intervention: Fan OR Air flow