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Acta Medica Medianae 2003
THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDICAL FINDINGS AND OBSTRUCTION DEGREE TO THE LIFE QUALITY OF ASTHMATIC PATIENTSKeywords: asthma , life quality , medical findings , obstruction degree Abstract: Due to its confirmed measuring characteristics, the questionnaire of life quality (AQLQ) enabled us to examine and realize the importance of medical findings and obstruction degree to the life quality of asthmatic patients.Examination of medical findings and obstruction degree related to the life quality of patients, booth for specific areas and for general life quality of our examinees.There were 100 examinees, out of which 66 (66%) were women and 34 (34%) men. Their average age was 43.92+12.25 and they were all hospitalized in the "Sokobanja" special hospital during the period of 2 or 3 weeks.The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence of pathological lung sounds:1(18 patients): no pathological lung sounds;II (41 patients): high pitched whistles;III (6 patients): low pitched whistles;IV (35 patients): polyphonic whistling.According to the seriousness of obstruction they were divided into three groups:I (22 patients): less than 60% of anticipated standard;II (31 patients): 60% to 80%III (47 patients): more than 80%.The highest scores in the questionare had the patients with normal auscultatory findings (I group) and the lowest scores had the patients with polyphonic whistling (IV group). The presence of pathological lung sounds reflected mostly in the area of the symptoms of disease p=0.0048 (F=4.587). Namely, the greatest difference in scores of respective areas of the questionnaire was in this very area.Life quality depends directly on the obstruction degree of the air flow through bronchial tubes measured by parameter FEVj%.There is a statistically important difference among all the scores of AQLQ with respect to the groups of patients p=0.005 (F=7.561), except for the scores of the exposal to the outside factors. The importance was especially great with the symptoms and limited activity.The results of the examination show that booth the presence of pathological lung sounds and obstruction degree of the air flow in bronchial tubes measured by parameter FEV|% effected life quality.
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