Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 102, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 605-612
Respiratory Medicine

Factors related to quality of life in patients receiving home mechanical ventilation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2007.11.005Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Summary

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients receiving home mechanical ventilation (HMV).

Methods

Observational, cross-sectional study. Patients receiving HMV were recruited from hospital outpatients facilities at five participating centers; a single follow-up visit was scheduled. The Spanish version of the Severe Respiratory Insufficiency (SRI) Questionnaire was used and the following variables were collected: socio-demographic status, previous medical history (Charlson-Age Comorbidity Index), current symptoms, administration of questionnaires, pulmonary function tests (PFT), current ventilatory support, and oxygen therapy.

Results

One hundred and fifteen patients (57 males and 58 females, mean age 62±13 years) were investigated. The reasons for HMV were as follows: thoracic cage abnormalities (33 patients), obesity hypoventilation syndrome (37 patients), neuromuscular disorders (18 patients), sequelae of tuberculosis (12 patients), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (15 patients). In a bivariate approach, dyspnea, the number of hospitalizations, and the number of emergency room admissions in last year were the main predictors of each HRQOL dimension. Multivariate analysis showed that dyspnea, FEV1/FVC, and the number of hospitalizations in the previous year were independently associated with HRQOL.

Conclusions

HRQOL of patients receiving HMV is influenced by many factors, especially by dyspnea and the number of admissions. An obstructive pattern in the PFT also influences HRQOL. These findings may have therapeutic implications.

KEYWORDS

Dyspnea
Health-related quality of life
Home mechanical ventilation
Hospitalization
Obstructive lung disease

Cited by (0)