Health-related quality of life and unmet needs in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 787 - 794
• Main Authors: Pifferi, M, Bush, A, Di Cicco, M, Pradal, U, Ragazzo, V, Macchia, P, Boner, A. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Eur Respiratory Soc 01.04.2010; Maney
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Complex syndromes; Cost of Illness; Cough - physiopathology; Cough - surgery; Cough - therapy; Dyspnea - physiopathology; Dyspnea - surgery; Dyspnea - therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Status; Humans; Infant; Kartagener Syndrome - physiopathology; Kartagener Syndrome - surgery; Kartagener Syndrome - therapy; Linear Models; Male; Medical genetics; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment; Patient Compliance; Pneumology; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Human; St George's Respiratory Questionnaire; Prognosis; Questionnaire; Respiratory disease; Health; Situs inversus; Immotile cilia syndrome; Congenital disease; Quality of life; Malformation; ENT disease; Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36; unmet needs; primary ciliary dyskinesia; Pneumology
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00051509

Few studies have evaluated the quality of life of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). We sought to determine the health impact of the disease as well as the unmet needs in a large group of patients. Questionnaires were either posted or e-mailed to known patients with PCD and published online. Questionnaires included the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 and a questionnaire that we produced to obtain information on age of diagnosis, symptoms and likely PCD-specific problems of these patients. 78 subjects (96% of those invited) answered all the questionnaires. Patients were diagnosed at a mean age of 9.4 yrs. Progressive worsening of the disease was observed and adherence to physiotherapy was found to be poor, particularly in adolescents and adults. Patients with the highest treatment burden had a worse quality of life. Over time patients become progressively less interested in treating their disease and adherence to treatment modalities decreases. PCD is associated with a progressive and continuous impact on the physical and mental health of the patients. Earlier identification of the patients and better strategies aimed at improving compliance with care are urgently needed.