OBJECTIVES: Determine quality of life of COPD patients. METHODS: The medical records of 300 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD who visited City Clinical Hospital #2, with mean age 68.5±4.5 male and 64.8±3.4 female, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were evaluated on the criteria for COPD [2006]. Socio-demographic data, severity of disease, co-morbidity, and use of health resources in the previous years were collected. SF-36 quality of life questionnaire were administered to all patients. RESULTS: The mean FEV1 value was 45.9 ± 9.1%. The severity of the disease was mild in 139 (46.3%) cases, moderate in 114 (38.0%), severe in 30 (10.0%), very severe in 17 (5.7%). With regard to the use of health resources in the previous year, the mean values were: visits to physician 7,27±1,2 and hospital admissions 8,16±0,31. The mean SF-36 scores for patients with mild COPD in the physical component before and after therapy were 84.5± 4.2  and 91.2± 5.8 with Δ %  value (9.2±1.6); moderate 73.2± 3.1 and  77.6±4.6 with  Δ % value (6.0±1.5); severe 42.2± 1.2 and 45.2±2.6 with Δ % (4.5±1.4); very severe 19.8± 2.4 and 23.5±3.8 with  Δ %  value (4.2±1.4). Similarly, the mean SF-36 scores on mental component of all groups of patients under study, ranging from mild to very severe were 69.60± 2.1 and 72.3± 3.4 with Δ %  value (3.1±2.3); 54.6± 2.2 and 56.9±3.7 with  Δ % value (4.2±1.5); 38.0± 2.3 and 39.6±3.1 with Δ % 3.9±0.8; 28.2± 1.1 and 29.1±2.4 with  Δ %  value (4.2±1.3). CONCLUSIONS:  Patients had an increase functional dynamic index (Δ %) of SF-36 in the physical component, and significant reduction was only seen in mental component of patients with severe and very severe cases.