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

这项针对家庭氧疗患者的队列研究的目的是阐明患者的生活质量与天气因素的关系。基础疾病主要是慢性阻塞性肺疾病。到研究结束时，有9名患者失去随访(4例死亡，3例病情加重，2例个人原因)。这项研究得到了我校内部审查委员会和患者医疗机构的批准。我们首先使用自动测温仪每30分钟测量患者起居室和卧室的室内温度。接下来，我们每隔70-80天走访患者一次，并收集数据以及日记，内容包括血氧饱和度、心率、患者的身体状况、食欲和呼吸困难的程度。患者屋外温度数据来自自动气象数据采集系统最近的测点。通过对比室内温度与室外温度的关系，发现室内温度冷天高于室外温度，炎热天室内温度略低于室外温度，可能是由于空调的影响，但室内温度经常超过30℃。2005年，大阪的环境温度在4月份后回升，6月份的月平均温度创下历史新高，峰值在6月底左右。在这种情况下，房间温度也很高，阻碍了患者的适应，一名女性患者被救护车送往医院。患者出现血氧饱和度降低和心动过速。房间温度的升高部分受到氧气冷凝器的影响，氧气冷凝器产生热量。2005年冬天，下雪的那天和第二天，许多卧室的温度都是最低的，我们观察到一名男性患者显然因为这种寒冷的接触而生病住院。

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.