Relation between weather factors and QOL of the patients under domiciliary oxygen therapy

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The purpose of this cohort study for patients under domiciliary oxygen therapy was to elucidate the relation between the patients' QOL and weather factors. The underlying diseases were mostly COPD. By the study end date, nine patients were lost to follow-up (Four deaths, 3 exacerbation, 2 personal reasons).This study was approved by the internal review board of our university and the patients' medical facilities.We first measured room temperature of patients' living room and bedroom every 30 minutes, using automatic thermo-recorders. Next, we visited the patients every 70-80 days and collected the data, along with the diaries, the contents of which include blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, patients' physical condition, appetite, and degree of dyspnea. The temperature data outside the patients' houses were collected from the closest measurement points of AMeDAS (Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System).By comparing the relation between the room and outside temperatures, we found that the room temperatures were higher during cold days and somewhat lower during hot days than the outside temperatures, probably due to air-conditioning effect, but the room temperatures often exceeded 30℃.In 2005 in Osaka, the ambient temperature rose after April and the monthly average temperature was record high in June, with the peak being around the end of June. Under this circumstance, the room temperatures also rose very high, which prevented the patients from acclimatization, and a female patient was hospitalized by ambulance car. This patient experienced lowered blood oxygen saturation and tachycardia. The elevation of the room temperature is partly affected by the oxygen condensers, which generated heat.In winter 2005, on the day when it snowed and the next day, many of the bedroom temperatures were lowest, and we observed a male patient who apparently became ill due to this cold exposure and was hospitalized.