title: Evaluation of health-related quality of life in low-income patients with COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a low-income population of patients with hypoxemia and COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Large, tertiary care, university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients with COPD requiring LTOT (mean age, 63.5 years; mean FEV(1), 32.1% of predicted; PaO(2), 50.2 mm Hg) and 33 control subjects with COPD but no severe hypoxemia (mean age, 63.1 years; FEV(1), 35.7%; PaO(2), 66.5 mm Hg).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent pulmonary function testing to assess physiologic function and the degree of respiratory impairment. A baseline dyspnea index (BDI) was used to determine levels of dyspnea, and a 6-min walk test was performed to evaluate physical performance and exercise capacity. The St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36) were used to assess health status and HRQL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores on the SGRQ and SF-36 indicated severe impairment. Patients receiving LTOT showed a trend toward worse scores on most dimensions of the SGRQ and SF-36, but differences between groups were only statistically significant for the physical functioning and social functioning dimensions of the SF-36. Dyspnea, as measured by the BDI, significantly correlated with all questionnaire domains except the SF-36 pain index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HRQL of these low-income patients with COPD was markedly impaired, with more pronounced impairment in those receiving LTOT. The severity of dyspnea was a significant predictor of various components of quality of life in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Diseases, Heart Institute (InCor)/Hospital das Clínicas and the Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia Adriana
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sant'Anna
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stelmach
authors.forename: Maria Ignez
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Zanetti Feltrin
authors.forename: Wilson Jacob
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cukier
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen