Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are commonly utilised to gauge lung function and diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is a questionnaire utilized to evaluate COPD's impact on health status.This study aims to examine the relationship between PFT interpretation, COPD severity, and CAT scores.A retrospective analysis was conducted on PFT results and CAT scores of 200 construction site workers with COPD.PFTs were categorized into three severity levels: mild obstruction, moderate obstruction, and severe obstruction.CAT scores were classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on predefined thresholds.The distribution of PFT interpretation and CAT scores within each COPD severity level was calculated.Among the study population, 13% had mild obstruction, 54% had moderate obstruction, and 33% had severe obstruction based on PFT interpretation.In terms of CAT scores, all patients with mild PFT obstruction had mild CAT scores, while those with moderate PFT obstruction had moderate CAT scores (100%).Similarly, patients with severe PFT obstruction had severe CAT scores (100%).Overall, the distribution of CAT scores corresponded with the severity of PFT obstruction.These findings highlight the usefulness of combining PFT results with CAT scores for a comprehensive evaluation of COPD severity and its impact on patients' well-being.Incorporating both PFTs and CAT scores in clinical practice can aid in treatment decisions and monitoring the progression of COPD.
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4403103824