Long-term antifungal treatment improves health status in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: a longitudinal analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

 Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is an infectious disease that progressively destroys lung tissue. To date, no longitudinal data on the efficacy of antifungal treatment on health status in CPA patients exist.

Methods

 Using the standardized St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, the health status of 122 patients with was assessed at baseline and quarterly over 12 months. The score range was 0-100, where higher score indicates worse heath status, and a change of ≥4 was deemed the minimal clinically important difference. Lung function, body mass index, Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, disease severity, and demographic data were reported.

Results

 Mean age of patients was 59 years, and 45% were female. Overall, patients with CPA had substantial he

SUBMITTER: Al-Shair K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3749749 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature