Abstract:

Objective: To investigate the correlation between symptom burden and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Methods: Totally 116 COPD patients from the First Hospital Affiliated with Ningbo University were selected by convenience sampling method. A general situation questionnaire, Chinese version of memory symptom assessment scale and COPD assessment test (CAT) scale were used to survey them. Results: Among the symptoms of COPD patients, the prevalence (81.03%, 94/116), frequency (51.72%, 60/116), severity (41.38%, 48/116), and bothersome (39.66%, 46/116) of shortness of breath all ranked the first. In the symptom burden score, the median score of psychological symptom distress score was the highest at 0.58 (0.00, 1.28); the total score of quality of life was significantly positively correlated with the total symptom burden score, physical symptom distress score, psychological symptom distress score, and global distress index (r=0.66, r=0.52, r=0.61, r=0.58, all P<0.05). Conclusion: In clinical practice, attention should be paid to the dyspnea symptoms of patients with COPD. The higher the symptom burden, the worse the quality of life. Healthcare professionals should strengthen the assessment of symptom burden in COPD patients, especially psychological symptom burden, take targeted intervention measures to reduce the symptom burden of COPD patients and improve their quality of life.

Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive, Symptom burden, Quality of life