Quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are in the hospitalization and emergency service of the San José University Hospital in the city of Popayán Calidad de vida de los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica que se encuentran en el servicio de hospitalización y urgencias del hospital universitario san josé de la ciudad de popayán

Abstract

This article is the result of a research project, whose objective was to describe the variations in the quality of life in patients with a medical diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the San José University Hospital, in the first period of 2013. It was used a Quantitative approach, descriptive observational type, non-experimental design, longitudinal section. The population that participated in the research process was made up of 20 patients diagnosed with COPD, chosen through random sampling.
convenience and not probabilistic. The Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) was administered at an initial assessment and after 14 days. A significant decrease in scores was evident in the 4 constituent dimensions of the CRQ (dyspnea, fatigue, emotional factor, disease control) compared to the maximum possible score, with the most affected dimensions being dyspnea and fatigue. After the different interventions, there was a significant increase in scores, compatible with clinical improvement in the majority of patients, regardless of their initial COPD degree, with the greatest changes being obtained in the dimensions of fatigue and dyspnea. It can be concluded that COPD significantly affected the quality of life in the study participants and the CRQ could be an appropriate instrument in our environment to document the effect of the different treatments applied to increase the quality of life of the patients.