| MRC Dyspnoea Scale | |
|---|---|
| Grade | Degree of breathlessness related to activity |
| 1 | Not troubled by breathless except on strenuous exercise |
| 2 | Short of breath when hurrying on a level or when walking up a slight hill |
| 3 | Walks slower than most people on the level, stops after a mile or so, or stops after 15 minutes walking at own pace |
| 4 | Stops for breath after walking 100 yards, or after a few minutes on level ground |
| 5 | Too breathless to leave the house, or breathless when dressing/undressing |
Used with the permission of the Medical Research Council (https://mrc.ukri.org/research/facilities-and-resources-for-researchers/mrc-scales/mrc-dyspnoea-scale-mrc-breathlessness-scale/)
Adapted from Fletcher CM. The clinical diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema—an experimental study. Proc R Soc Med 1952;45:577–584.
There is also a modified MRC Scale which is used in the GOLD guidelines and BODE - see Fletcher CM. Standardised questionnaire on respiratory symptoms: a statement prepared and approved by the MRC Committee on the Aetiology of Chronic Bronchitis (MRC breathlessness score). BMJ 1960; 2: 1662.