Quality of Life Assessment in Two Consecutive Years of Patients in a Waiting List for Lung Transplantation

Background. Patients on a waiting list for lung transplantation (LT) have physical and emotional setbacks due to limiting symptoms such as dyspnea and cough. Time on a waiting list may worsen the conditions of these patients and affect their quality of life (QoL). Objective. Our objective was to evaluate QoL components in patients in 2 consecutive years who were waiting for transplantation. Material and Methods. We studied patients who remained on a waiting list for transplantation in the first 2 years after inclusion on the list. Evaluation was performed using the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) Questionnaire and the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results. Fifty-six patients were included (38.5 +/- 15 years), 33 women (59%) and 23 men (41%). Of these, 18 had bronchiectasis, 14 had cystic fibrosis, 9 had lung fibrosis, 8 had lung emphysema, and 7 had other diseases. The domains with greater involvement in the first and second year were Functional Capacity and Physical Aspects. In the second year there was a significant worsening in Physical Aspects (2.5-0 points; P=.032). The domains related to the emotional component did not have significant changes. Conclusion. The progression of the disease and progressive worsening of symptoms of patients on a transplantation waiting list led to less physical exercise, worsening the effects of inactivity. After 1 year on a waiting list for LT, patients had a significant loss of functionality, which had an impact on QoL.