Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea Scale

Dyspena is one of the most common symptom of majority of respiratory conditions. Though dyspnea(widely known as breathlessness) is subjective and difficult to quantify its plays a major role in decision-making about diagnosis and treatment so it is important to measure the amount of dyspnea

There are various tools available to measure the dyspnea as an outcome, such as Borg Scale, https://www.physio-pedia.com/Borg_Rating_Of_Perceived_Exertion St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) etc, The MRC breathlessness scale does not quantify breathlessness itself. Other tools such as the Borg scale or visual analogue scales are used for that Rather, it quantifies the disability associated with breathlessness by identifying that breathlessness occurs when it should not (Grades 1 and 2) or by quantifying the associated exercise limitation (Grades 3–5).There is up to 98% agreement between observers recording MRC breathlessness scores The score correlates well with the results of other breathlessness scales,lung function measurements and with direct measures of disability such as walking distance.

The MRC (r = 0.59 to 0.66)(80) breathlessness scale comprises five statements that describe almost the entire range of respiratory disability from none (Grade 1) to almost complete incapacity (Grade 5). It can be self-administered by asking subjects to choose a phrase that best describes their condition, e.g. ‘I only get breathless with strenuous exertion’ (Grade 1) or ‘I am too breathless to leave the house’ (Grade 5). Alternatively, it can be administered by an interviewer with the statements framed as questions, e.g. ‘Are you short of breath when hurrying on the level or walking up a slight incline’ (Grade 2). The score is the number that best fits to the patient’s level of activity. All the questions relate to everyday activities and are generally easily understood by patients. A score can usually be obtained in a few seconds