Quality of Life After Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are any infections below the vocal cords which affect the airways or the air sacs in the lungs. They include pneumonia, bronchitis and chest infections and are usually caused by viruses such as influenza, COVID-19 or Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), or by bacteria such as pneumococcus. LRTIs are common, particularly in older adults; in the UK approximately 15% of people aged over 65 years will experience a chest infection each year and many of those will need in-patient treatment.

People who have had a chest infection may experience slow recovery after their infection. Patients often report that their quality of life is worse after an infection (for example persistent fatigue, reduced physical functioning, and mental health challenges) and this can affect the return to usual activities. However, there have not been many studies that have looked at how the quality of life changes in the months following a chest infection, and why some people take longer to recover.

In this study, the investigators will use a well-recognised questionnaire to measure quality of life for up to one year in adults who have been admitted to hospital with a chest infection. The findings will help the investigators to assess how long-term quality of life is affected after a chest infection and what factors may affect it. The results will also permit calculation of the costs faced by patients during recovery from a chest infection, in financial terms. These results will feed into studies looking at ways of improving recovery after a chest infection.