Abstract

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), including both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the airflow obstruction along with the chronic cough, wheezing, and poor quality of life. It is one of the main reasons for mortality and morbidity worldwide and in Pakistan as well.
Objective: To know the health-related quality of life of COPD patients in a healthcare institute.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 95 COPD patients. HRQoL of all enrolled patients was assessed for results. The diagnosis was done based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. Data were entered into an Excel sheet, and data analysis was done using SPSS version 15.0.
Results: A total of 95 COPD patients were included in this study.  The majority of the patients (63.1%) presented with cough followed by breathlessness (56.8%). Most of the patients (92.4%) were diagnosed with COPD in a private healthcare institute and within the last five years (51.5%). The SGRQ median total and interquartile range was 58.7 (43.9–64.6).
Conclusion: The majority of patients had poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). At the time of the survey, the presence of dyspnea and chest pain showed poor HRQoL. Therefore, raising awareness regarding COPD and sensitizing healthcare workers towards the effect of COPD on HRQoL is important.