Evaluation of health-related quality of life in low-income patients with COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy.
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.
Sant'Anna
Cláudia Adriana
CA
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.
Stelmach
Rafael
R
Zanetti Feltrin
Maria Ignez
MI
Filho
Wilson Jacob
WJ
Chiba
Toshio
T
Cukier
Alberto
A
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
D010100:Oxygen