Abstract:

The objective of this study was to investigate anemia, fatigue and loneliness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, and to establish the relation between them. This study was conducted this descriptive and cross-sectional type. The sample of the study consisted of 250 patients who were receiving treatment in the thoracic service. A Patient Description Form, the COPD and Asthma Fatigue Scale (CAFS), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale were used in the collection of data. The mean age of the patients was found to be 68.21±12.34 (min: 24, max: 93) years; 64% were aged 65 or over, 66% were male. The patients’ mean hemoglobin value was found to be 12.47±1.93 (g/dl) (min: 5.40, max: 16.70), and 45.9% of the female patients, 52.1% of the males and 50% overall were anemic. The patients’ mean loneliness score was 36.58±11.00, and their mean fatigue score was 81.51±16.30. It was established that 60% were lonely at a low level. Eight out of ten patients in the study were found to be fatigued. No correlation was found between patients’ mean loneliness scores and mean fatigue scores (r=0.003, p=0.962); a significant correlation was found between their hemoglobin values and their mean fatigue scores (r=0.21, p=0.001), but no significant correlation was found between their hemoglobin values and their mean loneliness scores (r=0.011, p=0.867). It was concluded that half of the COPD patients in the study were anemic, a large proportion had fatigue, and that the loneliness rate was low. It was found that patients with anemia had more fatigue.

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