Quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing respiratory rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by chronic airflow limitation, with significant systemic effects, which causes disability that results in the progressive deterioration of the patients’ quality of life. In addition to the pharmacological treatment, respiratory rehabilitation is one of the fundamental pillars of their treatment.

Methods: This study aimed to measure the quality of life level of patients with COPD, who are undergoing respiratory rehabilitation. The empirical research was based on a cross-sectional, with correlation guidance, based on a quantitative approach and on the application of the SGRQ questionnaire to each participant. The study included 80 patients with COPD. From these, 38 did respiratory rehabilitation and 42 did not. All belonging to the area of influence of the Sousa Martins Hospital (ULS Guarda, EPE). The results were processed in SPSS (version 19).

Results: Among the 80 patients who participated in the study, there were 65 male and 15 female. The average age was 70.89 years. The results obtained showed that all the participants in this study have decreased their quality of life in all domains (symptoms, activity, impact). In general, the quality of life, according to its average values, corresponds to 60.38%. In addition, there is a greater decrease of quality of life in those patients who did not undergo respiratory rehabilitation. These present average values higher in all domains: symptoms (58.87%), activity (78.31%), impact (53.58%) and total quality of life (62.16%).

Conclusion: This study found that patients who did not undergo respiratory rehabilitation have a worse quality of life when compared with patients receiving this therapy.