COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
Test May Evaluate Severity of COPD Exacerbation
From Medscape Medical News, January 27, 2012
Scores obtained at exacerbation with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) are a reliable indicator of exacerbation severity and can also be used to model recovery, according to a new study.
Alexander Mackay, MBBS, clinical research fellow at the University College London Medical School, United Kingdom, and colleagues reported their findings in an article published online January 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The authors note that among patients with COPD, "[exacerbations are amongst the commonest causes of medical admission to hospital...and are responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality associated with this highly prevalent condition."
"However, currently there is no standardized, objective method for assessing symptom severity at exacerbation," they add.
The COPD assessment test is a validated, simple questionnaire designed to provide an assessment of health status in COPD. According to the researchers, this test has been previously used in primary and secondary health settings, correlates with quality-of-life measurements, and is responsive to pulmonary rehabilitation.
This study prospectively assessed the utility of this test to evaluate exacerbation severity in patients with COPD. A total of 161 patients underwent the CAT at least once in the baseline state. Of these, 75 patients were assessed using the CAT during 152 treated exacerbations, and 52 patients completed the CAT during recovery.
Frequent exacerbations (2 exacerbations per year) had significantly higher mean baseline CAT scores compared with infrequent exacerbators (
From Medscape Medical News, January 27, 2012
Scores obtained at exacerbation with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) are a reliable indicator of exacerbation severity and can also be used to model recovery, according to a new study.
Alexander Mackay, MBBS, clinical research fellow at the University College London Medical School, United Kingdom, and colleagues reported their findings in an article published online January 27 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The authors note that among patients with COPD, "[exacerbations are amongst the commonest causes of medical admission to hospital...and are responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality associated with this highly prevalent condition."
"However, currently there is no standardized, objective method for assessing symptom severity at exacerbation," they add.
The COPD assessment test is a validated, simple questionnaire designed to provide an assessment of health status in COPD. According to the researchers, this test has been previously used in primary and secondary health settings, correlates with quality-of-life measurements, and is responsive to pulmonary rehabilitation.
This study prospectively assessed the utility of this test to evaluate exacerbation severity in patients with COPD. A total of 161 patients underwent the CAT at least once in the baseline state. Of these, 75 patients were assessed using the CAT during 152 treated exacerbations, and 52 patients completed the CAT during recovery.
Frequent exacerbations (2 exacerbations per year) had significantly higher mean baseline CAT scores compared with infrequent exacerbators (
You can read the rest of the study here if you like:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757612
After my Pulmonary Rehab they gave us the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire to evaluate quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
Maybe they followed you up with the same questionnaire.
I think the questionnaires are very good and helpful for assessment.
I thought this was interesting small study and thought some of you might think so too.
Easy breathing Everyone,
Love
Holly
It's a while since I did my pulmonary rehabilitation course, I think I did a questionnaire before and after for comparisons.
It is an interesting article, thanks for sharing.
Peta x