Introduction:

The variability of respiratory symptoms in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered to be low or nonexistent. However, some authors state that there may be fluctuations.

Objectives:

To describe symptom variability in patients with COPD throughout the day and night for four weeks using a patient diary, and to validate a questionnaire created for such purpose (Colombian Self-Ad -ministered Instrument of Symptom Variability in COPD - EPOC-CoVaSy).

Materials and methods:

Cohort study conducted in 96 patients with COPD treated between June and December 2016 at the Centro de Atención Pulmonar - CAP in Barranquilla, Colombia, who filled out a patient diary for four weeks and, after this period, the self-administered EPOC-CoVaSy instrument. Independence and comparison of frequencies of categorical and continuous variables were established using the chi- square and the Fisher ' s exact tests and the Pearson's correlation coefficient, respectively. A MANO-VA was performed using linear regression models to determine the correlations between the results of the diary and the instrument.

Results:

Participants' mean age was 73.3±8.3 years and 71.87% were male. According to the analysis of the diaries, the mean scores (visual analog scale) for all symptoms and the performance of activities of daily living ranged between 0.5 and 2.5, being higher in the morning (mean scores between 1.5 and 2.5) than in the afternoon and night (mean scores between 0.5 and 1.5); however, symptom variability was minimal. These results were similar to those obtained in the EPOC-CoVaSy instrument, demonstrating a high correlation between both instruments that allowed to confirm that EPOC-CoVaSy is a useful instrument to measure such variability.

Conclusions.

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that there is a slight variability in COPD symptoms throughout the day, which should be considered when establishing treatment regimens for this disease. Likewise, it was determined that the EPOC-CoVaSy instrument is valid to measure such variability in Colombian patients with COPD.

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