Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Chronic care and rehabilitation in the management of acute exacerbations
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

Background: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), moderate correlations between health-related quality of life (HRQL) and pulmonary function, dyspnoea, and emotional distress have been described in stable patients. In the present study, we assessed these correlations in patients admitted to hospital for acute exacerbations of COPD.
Methods: Upon admission, patients were asked to complete the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) to measure HRQL, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess their emotional distress. Further, we measured FEV1 and Borg score (0 = no dyspnoea, 10 = maximum). Parametric correlations were calculated.
Results: At time of analysis, data of 50 patients (mean age (SD): 72.2 (8.4); mean FEV1%pred: 36.9 (14.3)) was present. All SGRQ scores (symptom, activity, impact, and total) were not significantly correlated with FEV1 and FEV1%pred (correlation coefficients (r) ranging from –0.1 to 0.02). Anxiety, Depression and Borg scores were significantly (p<0.01) correlated with the 'impact' domain and total score of the SGRQ (r=0.48 and r=0.44 (Anxiety), r=0.43 and r=0.45 (Depression), and r=0.38 and r=0.38 (Borg)). Further, the depression score was correlated with the 'activity' (r=0.28; p=0.049) and 'symptom' (r=0.33; p=0.02) domains, and the anxiety score was correlated with the 'symptom' domain (r=0.37; p=0.008)
Conclusions: In acute exacerbations of COPD, HRQL was not at all correlated with lung function, but was related to emotional distress, and perception of dyspnoea. These relations seem to be partially different in patients admitted to hospital with acute exacerbations compared to in stable disease.

Rating:

Share or cite this content

Citations should be made in the following way:
S. M. Uil, P. de Jong, H. P. Grotjohan, H. A. M. Kerstjens, J. W. K. van den Berg (Zwolle, Groningen, The Netherlands). Pulmonary function, emotional distress, and Borg scores in relation to health-related quality of life during acute exacerbations of COPD. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 3709

Member's Comments

No comment yet.

Related content which might interest you: Effects of physical exercise on quality of life, pulmonary function and asthma symptom score in children with asthma Source: Annual Congress 2007 - Childhood asthma: treatment and follow-up Year: 2007 The relationship of anxiety and depression with pulmonary function tests, dyspnoea, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with COPD Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Exploring outcome measures in COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation Year: 2009 Negative impacts of unreported COPD exacerbations on health-related quality of life at 1 year Source: Eur Respir J 2010; 35: 1022-1030 Year: 2010 Respiratory symptoms are associated with impaired health-related quality of life in subjects with neither asthma nor COPD Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Risk factors for asthma and pneumonia Year: 2009 Effects of sitting time on dyspnea, quality of life, and BODE score in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Source: Annual Congress 2013 –COPD treatment and others Year: 2013 Ego defense mechanisms in COPD: Impact on health-related quality of life and dyspnoea severity Source: Annual Congress 2011 - COPD mechanisms Year: 2011 Relation of dyspnea scales and quality of life with exercise capacity in patients with COPD Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Gas exchange and exercise in respiratory diseases Year: 2009 Compliance of inhalation medication in relation to illness perception, quality of life and predicted pulmonary function in COPD patients Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Advances in lung function II Year: 2010 Pulmonary rehabilitation outcome: quality of life (QoL) and COPD severity Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 633s Year: 2004 Relationship between dyspnea levels and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Source: Eur Respir J 2003; 22: Suppl. 45, 240s Year: 2003 Predictors of health-related quality of life in COPD patients with chronic respiratory failure Source: Eur Respir J 2006; 28: Suppl. 50, 68s Year: 2006 Assessment of relation among emotional status, pulmonary function test, exercise performance, and quality of life in patients with COPD Source: Annual Congress 2007 - Assessment and outcomes in patients with chronic airway obstruction Year: 2007 Fatigue, disability, and quality of life in COPD Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Exacerbations and characteristics of COPD Year: 2009 Change in respiratory symptoms and health related quality of life in a community study Source: Annual Congress 2005 - Assessing the relevance of obstructive airway diseases Year: 2005 Dyspnea level and health- related quality of life (HRQoL) analysis in patients with COPD Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 56s Year: 2004 Determinants of health-related quality of life in patients with COPD and chronic respiratory failure Source: Eur Respir J 2007; 30: Suppl. 51, 95s Year: 2007 Cough is an independent contributor to health-related quality of life impairment in COPD Source: International Congress 2015 – Non-inflammatory monitoring of airway diseases Year: 2015 The level of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with moderate to severe COPD and its relationship to symptoms Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 249s Year: 2002 Relationship between health-related quality of life and pulmonary function in COPD outpatients Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 253s Year: 2002 Impact of cough-related quality of life on fatigue and depression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Exercise training: new groups, new methods and outcomes Year: 2010