In order to evaluate which prognostic factors were significant to the survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 121 histologically confirmed cases of the disease were studied at the Pereira Filho Hospital from 1970 to 1996. All patients were submitted to a standard thorax X-ray and spirometry and answered a standardized questionnaire when admitted to hospital. They also underwent diffusion tests (34 cases), total lung capacity (28), blood gas analysis (106), bronchoalveolar lavage (39), rheumatoid analyses (45), and thoracic CT (24). For further analysis, the patients were classified into two groups: group A (2-year survival) with 55 patients, and group B (more than 5-year survival) with 24 patients; these features were also analyzed according to their significance to survival. Age, increased dyspnea index, long symptomatic period, FVC, DCO, PaO2 and SaO2 reduction, honeycombing intensity, and greater profusion of the reticular pattern on HRCT were considered indicative of worse prognosis. A reduced FEV1 and TLC were also associated with shorter survival. The use of those criteria which had shown statistical significance when evaluated together may determine a more accurate prognostic evaluation of IPF patients resulting in social and therapeutic benefits to patient management.

Keywords: Pulmonary fibrosis. Interstitial lung diseases. Prognosis. Prospective studies. Survival analysis.