**4. Results**

It was found out that mean age of the patients was 66.03 years (SD= 11.33), 50.7 % was male, 58.7% belonged to ≥ 65 age group, 72.0% was married, 49.7% was illiterate, 46.3 % was housewives, 27.9% was retired, 74.3% had a moderate income level. It was explored that 30.7% of the patients had the disease for ≥12 years (disease length ≥12 years), 38.6% moderate COPD, 77.3% was repeatedly hospitalized and 89.3% said to use their medications regularly and 47.0% identified their health condition as bad.

Table 1 demonstrates dyspnea severity and fatigue-experience of the patients. All of the patients said to have dyspnea and the analysis made using MRC dyspnea scale revealed that 73.3%of the patients had severe dyspnea. 99.3% of the patient told to experience fatigue. It was explored that 49.0% of the patients had always fatigue experience.

Their total fatigue score'mean was 60.36+ 20.57, mean score of activities of affected by fatigue was 40.22 + 14.37, and MRC dyspnea mean score was 3.59 + 1.31.

Evaluation of Dyspnea and Fatigue Among the COPD Patients 265

< 44 51.93±22.22 35.60±13.17 2.73±1.48 45-64 58.30±22.15 38.60±15.68 3.38±1.34 65+ 62.35±19.18 41.61±13.49 3.79±1.23 F, p 2.66 >0.05 2.30 >0.05 6.89 >0.05

Female 61.72±20.00 41.00±14.17 3.64±1.29 Male 59.03±21.09 39.46±14.58 3.54±1.33 t, p 0.156 >0.05 0.001 >0.05 0.828 >0.05

1-3 Years 53.05±22.81 35.23±16.20 3.29±1.36 4-7 Years 59.57±19.61 40.61±13.44 3.46±1.35 8-11Years 62.77±17.46 42.00±12.01 3.90±1.28 12+ Years 66.51±18.57 43.77±13.21 3.76±1.20 F, p 7.358 <0.05 6.187 <0.05 3.493 >0.05

Stage I(Mild) 52.58±21.65 54.46±15.28 2.96±1.28 Stage II Moderate) 56.30±21.25 37.64±14.75 3.26±1.27 StageIII(Severe) 67.21±17.22 44.97±12.19 4.14±1.13 Stage IV(Very severe) 69.78±15.60 46.43±10.43 4.34±1.11 F, p 10.615 <0.05 10.413 <0.05 17.928 <0.05

No 52.29±23.52 34.57±16.26 3.11±1.37 Once 55.76±19.89 36.63±14.05 3.22±1.24 Twice 61.31±21.28 40.96±14.60 3.82±1.23 Three times 67.77±15.82 45.40±11.03 3.97±1.15 Four times and more 71.42±11.41 48.40±7.92 4.22±1.17 F, p 9.695 <0.01 10.631 <0.01 8.931 <0.01

Good 47.00±23.35 32.96±16.48 3.04±1.33 Normal 58.39±21.27 38.19±15.02 3.45±1.29 Bad 62.02±18.90 40.91±13.49 3.63±1.31 Very Bad 76.60±9.50 50.25±6.52 4.86±0.52 F, p 8.986 <0.01 5.953 <0.01 8.054 <0.01

Sometimes 46.50±23.90 31.58±16.61 2.93±1.36 Often 57.31±17.58 37.45±12.25 3.16±1.20 Always 67.95±17.27 45.49±12.39 4.13±1.13 F, p 29.305 <0.01 26.231 <0.01 2.864 <0.01 Table 2. Mean scores of dyspnea, fatigue levels and levels of the daily activities affected by

**Fatigue X ± SD**

**Mean Scores** 

**Activities affected by fatigue X ± SD**

**Dyspnea X ± SD** 

**Characteristics** 

**Age**

**Gender**

**Disease Length**

**Disease Severity**

**Health Condition**

**Frequency Of Fatigue Experience**

fatigue accoding to some characteristics

**Repeated Hospitalization**


Table 1. Dyspnea severity and fatigue experience of the patients

It was concluded in our research that there was a positive correlation between dyspnea and fatigue (r=0.636, p<0.01) and as dyspnea scores increased so did mean fatigue scores. Also, there was a significant negative correlation between the measured FEV1 values of the patients and dyspnea scores (r=-.341 p<0.01) and fatigue scores (r=-.260 p<0.01).

Table 2 demonstrates mean scores of dyspnea, fatigue levels and levels of the daily activities affected by fatigue accoding to some socio demographic and disease characteristics.

It was explored that there was not any statistically significant difference between fatigue levels, levels of the daily activities affected by fatigue and dyspnea scores in terms of age and sex(p>0.05). It was found out that there was statistically significant difference between fatigue level and levels of the daily activities affected by fatigue and disease length (year) (p<0.05).

It was found out that there was statistically significant difference between fatigue level and levels of the daily activities affected by fatigue and dyspnea according disease severity, the number of repeated hospitalization, patients' perception about their health condition and frequency of fatigue-experience. High fatigue score and score of the daily activities affected by fatigue were presented by those who had the disease for ≥ 12 years. High fatigue score and score of the daily activities affected by fatigue and dyspnea score were presented by who fourth stage of COPD, who were repeatedly, had hospitalized for ≥ 4 times a year and who identified their own health condition as very bad and frequency of fatigue as always.
