Takahito Suzuki1, Toshihiro Shirai2, Keita Hirai3, Yuko Tanaka4, Hirofumi Watanabe5, Yoshinari Endo6, Yukiko Shimoda7, Mika Saigusa8, Taisuke Akamatsu9, Akito Yamamoto10, Satoru Morita11, Kazuhiro Asada12. 1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: ts1120ffh@gmail.com. 2. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: toshihiro-shirai@i.shizuoka-pho.jp. 3. Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Genetics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: hiraik@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp. 4. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: yukotanaka09@gmail.com. 5. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: wt.hirofumi@gmail.com. 6. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: te38115014@gmail.com. 7. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: sffyb295@yahoo.co.jp. 8. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: mika-saigusa@i.shizuoka-pho.jp. 9. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: taisuke-akamatsu@i.shizuoka-pho.jp. 10. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: akito.yam@gmail.com. 11. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: cqn00563@nifty.com. 12. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi, Shizuoka, Japan. Electronic address: kazuhiro-asada@i.shizuoka-pho.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cough and sputum are the major symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). However, the relationship between these symptoms and treatment for TB is not fully understood. The aim of this prospective study was to clarify the cough- and sputum-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with pulmonary TB before and after initiation of treatment. METHODS: The study included 85 patients with active pulmonary TB who were hospitalized from July 2014 to August 2015. They completed the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ: range 3-21, the higher the better) and the Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire (CASA-Q: range 0-100, the higher the better) on admission and at discharge after 2 months of treatment. RESULTS: The LCQ and CASA-Q scores were reduced on admission. A multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that younger age, more than two cavitary lesions, and the presence of bronchial TB were associated with reduced LCQ total score. However, each score significantly improved at discharge, regardless of the initial grade of the sputum smear, site of the lesion, number of cavitary lesions, and presence of bronchial TB. The change in the mean LCQ total score was 2.28 (95% confidence interval, 1.56-3.00). The changes in the mean CASA-Q cough symptoms, cough impact, sputum symptoms, and sputum impact scores were 22.84 (18.44-27.25), 10.96 (7.20-14.71), 17.25 (13.33-21.18), and 5.25 (2.49-8.00), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cough- and sputum-related QOL was impaired in patients with pulmonary TB before treatment but improved after initiation of treatment regardless of the clinical characteristics.
BACKGROUND: Cough and sputum are the major symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). However, the relationship between these symptoms and treatment for TB is not fully understood. The aim of this prospective study was to clarify the cough- and sputum-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with pulmonary TB before and after initiation of treatment. METHODS: The study included 85 patients with active pulmonary TB who were hospitalized from July 2014 to August 2015. They completed the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ: range 3-21, the higher the better) and the Cough and Sputum Assessment Questionnaire (CASA-Q: range 0-100, the higher the better) on admission and at discharge after 2 months of treatment. RESULTS: The LCQ and CASA-Q scores were reduced on admission. A multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that younger age, more than two cavitary lesions, and the presence of bronchial TB were associated with reduced LCQ total score. However, each score significantly improved at discharge, regardless of the initial grade of the sputum smear, site of the lesion, number of cavitary lesions, and presence of bronchial TB. The change in the mean LCQ total score was 2.28 (95% confidence interval, 1.56-3.00). The changes in the mean CASA-Q cough symptoms, cough impact, sputum symptoms, and sputum impact scores were 22.84 (18.44-27.25), 10.96 (7.20-14.71), 17.25 (13.33-21.18), and 5.25 (2.49-8.00), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cough- and sputum-related QOL was impaired in patients with pulmonary TB before treatment but improved after initiation of treatment regardless of the clinical characteristics.