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

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 [V̇o(2)max]), 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 V̇o(2)max, 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.