Purpose: This study was conducted to suggest whether dyspnea, as reported by patients with acute bronchospasm could reflect their pulmonary function and arterial blood gas, and to evaluate the usefulness of MBS in assessing dyspnea. Method: We measure...
Purpose: This study was conducted to suggest whether dyspnea, as reported by patients with acute bronchospasm could reflect their pulmonary function and arterial blood gas, and to evaluate the usefulness of MBS in assessing dyspnea. Method: We measured dyspnea by using MBS, and anxiety using VAS, FEV₁, FVC, PaO₂ and PaCO₂ before and after bronchodilator in 44 patients with COPD or asthma at emergency center. In evaluating the usefulness of MBS, the relationship among the pulmonary function, ABGA, VASI and MBSI was measured by using Spearman's rank correlations. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used in comparing the pulmonary function, ABGA, anxiety and dyspnea before and after administering bronchodilators. Result: FEV₁, FVC and PaO₂ were increased after the use of bronchodilators. MBSI for dyspnea and VASI for anxiety were decreased after the use of bronchodilators. Before using bronchodilators, there were significant positive correlations between MBSI and PaCO₂(r=0.298, p=.049), and MBSI and VASI(r=0.620, p=.000). After using bronchodilators, there were significant negative correlations between MBSI and FEVi(r=-0.456, p=.002), MBSI and FVC(r=-0.326, p=.031), and VASI and FEV₁(r=-0.448, p=.002). After using bronchodilators, there was a significant negative correlation between MBSI and VASI(r=0.743, p=.000). Conclusion: We conclude that MBS was helpful to evaluate the severity of dyspnea and that MBS could be used in assessing and monitoring dyspnea in patients with acute bronchospasm.