[The impact of bronchial colonization in the quality of life of patients with chronic, stable bronchitis].
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of respiratory function and bacterial colonization of the lower airway on the quality of life of patients with chronic, stable bronchitis (CB).


METHODS
A series of 41 patients with stable CB was studied (age: 63.8; standard deviation (SD) 9.1 years; FVC% 91.0 (18.9); FEV1% 74.6 (23.7); FEV1/FEC 62.8 (11.2) with normal thoracic radiography. Patients with previous diagnosis of bronchiectasia, bronchial asthma and/or positive bronchodilatory tests (> 15%) were not included in the study. Bacterial growth in a sputum sample of grade 4-5 of the Murray-Washington scale was considered diagnostic of bronchial colonization. Measurement of the quality of life was performed with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).


RESULTS
The patients presented a moderate alteration in their quality of life with scores over 25 in most of the dimensions of the NHP and the SGRQ. In 9 out of 41 cases (22%), the sputum cultures demonstrated bronchial colonization with the most frequently isolated bacterias being Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Multivariate analysis performed with the quality of life as the dependent variable showed an association between FEV1/FEC1 and the SGRQ score (R2 = 0.18), and energy (R2 = 0.09) and physical mobility (R2 = 0.05) of NHP.


CONCLUSIONS
Bronchial obstruction is the main determinant in the quality of life in patients with stable CB. Colonization of the lower airway is observed in 22% of the patients and also influences the quality of life of the patients but to a much lesser extent.
Monsó
E
E
Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona.
Rosell
A
A
Bonet
G
G
Manterola
J M
JM
Matas
L
L
Ruiz
J
J
Morera
J
J
D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016870:Neisseriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology
Impacto de la colonización bronquial en la calidad de vida del paciente con bronquitis crónica estable.