Fig. 1

Progression of dyspnoea and pain during hospital admission. The figure shows the evolution of dyspnoea and pain during admission in patients with heart failure (continuous line) and respiratory diseases (dashed line). The data represent the mean value according to the Numerical Rating Scale in three moments: at admission, the maximum value perceived during admission and hospital discharge. Error bars represent the standard deviation. “Highest during admission” refers to the highest value of dyspnoea or pain perceived during the course of hospitalization after excluding the symptoms at the time of admission