Original article
The Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on the Physical Profile and Quality of Life

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2004.09.025Get rights and content

Abstract

Lau HM-C, Lee EW-C, Wong CN-C, Ng GY-F, Jones AY-M, Hui DS-C. The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome on the physical profile and quality of life. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2005;86:1134–40.

Objective

To investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on the physical fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among SARS survivors.

Design

A cohort study.

Setting

An outpatient physiotherapy department in a major hospital in Hong Kong.

Participants

SARS patients (N=171) discharged from the hospital. Their mean age was 37.36±12.65 years, and the average number of days of hospitalization was 21.79±9.93 days.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Subjects’ cardiorespiratory (6-minute walk test [6MWT], Chester step test for predicting maximal oxygen uptake [V̇o2max]), musculoskeletal (proximal/distal muscle strength and endurance test), and HRQOL status (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]) were measured and compared with the normative data matched for age and sex.

Results

Seventy-eight (45.61%) patients continued to require prednisolone (<0.5mg·kg−1·d−1) for residual lung opacities when data were collected. The values of 6MWT distance, predicted V̇o2max, proximal and distal muscle strength, and the scores from all SF-36 domains, particularly perceived role-physical, were significantly lower than the normative data (P<.05).

Conclusions

SARS survivors had deficits in cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal performance, and their HRQOL appeared to be significantly impaired.

Key Words

Muscles
Oxygen consumption
Physical endurance
Quality of life
Rehabilitation
SARS virus

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