COPD Assessment Test: A Simple Tool to Evaluate Disease Severity and Response to Treatment. (1st September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Papaioannou, Maria; Pitsiou, Georgia; Manika, Katerina; Kontou, Paschalina; Zarogoulidis, Pavlos; Sichletidis, Lazaros; Kioumis, Ioannis P.
• Is Part Of: COPD. Volume 11:Number 5(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 489
• Page End: 495
• Publication Date: 2014-09-01
• Subjects: Lungs -- Diseases, Obstructive -- Periodicals; 616.24
• DOI: 10.3109/15412555.2014.898034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-2555

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a short questionnaire designed to assess the impairment in health status of COPD patients. We aimed to determine the change of the CAT in COPD patients after 1 year of treatment and test the association between the score and clinical and lung function variables. <italic>Methods</italic> A cohort of 111 newly diagnosed COPD patients in primary care was evaluated at baseline and one year after the implementation of the recommended treatment according to the Global Initiative for the management of COPD (GOLD). <italic>Results</italic> Most of the patients (82%) were diagnosed with mild to moderate airflow limitation (mean FEV<sub>1</sub> 72 ± 21.5% predicted) and the CAT score increased in proportion with the GOLD stage of severity. The CAT significantly correlated with the number of exacerbations, visits to general practitioners and days of hospitalization both at the beginning and at 1 year follow-up. A strong negative correlation between the CAT score and FEV<sub>1</sub> predicted was also observed. The CAT was responsive to the application of treatment with a significant improvement in the mean score (95% confidence interval) following 12 months of treatment by –2.4 (–2.9, –1.9) despite the small decline in lung function indices. The number of exacerbations in the preceding year and FEV<sub>1</sub> were independent predictors of the CAT score in the general linear model. <italic>Conclusion</italic> The CAT questionnaire may serve as a simple, measurable tool complementary to spirometry in the assessment of severity and of response to treatment in unselected COPD patients in primary care.</bold> </p> </abstract>