ABSTRACT
AIM: Walking distance is generally accepted as a functional capacity determinant in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the use of gait speed in COPD patients has not been directly investigated. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess the use of gait speed as a functional capacity indicator in COPD patients. METHODS: A total 511 patients with mild-to-very severe COPD and 113 healthy controls were included. The lung functions (pulmonary function test), general health- and disease-related quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form of Health Survey, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire), and gait speed (6-minute walk test) were assessed. RESULTS: The mean gait speed values were slower in moderate (75.7 ± 14.0 m/min), severe (64.3 ± 16.5 m/min), and very severe (60.2 ± 15.5 m/min) COPD patients than controls (81.3 ± 14.3 m/min). There were significant correlations between gait speed and age, dyspnea-leg fatigue severities, pulmonary function test results (FEV(1), FVC, FVC%, FEV(1)/FVC ratio, PEF, PEF%), and all subscores of Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form of Health Survey and activity, impact and total subscores of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire in patients with moderate, severe, and very severe COPD. However, these correlations were higher especially in patients with severe and very severe COPD. CONCLUSIONS: As a conclusion, according to our results gait speed slows down with increasing COPD severity. Also, gait speed has correlations with age, clinical symptoms, pulmonary functions, and quality of life scores in COPD patients. Thus, we consider that gait speed might be used as a functional capacity indicator, especially for patients with severe and very severe COPD.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: (i) To compare the relationship between different dyspnoea scales and physical and clinical parameters of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); and (ii) to determine the most suitable scale among these scales for this patient group. METHODS: Forty patients with COPD [mean 1st second forced expiratory volume (FEV(1)), 49.16 +/- 2.33% predicted], aged 53-85 participated in this study. The severity of dyspnoea was assessed with different five scales [Modified Borg Scale (MBS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale (MRCS), Baseline Dyspnoea Index (BDI) and Oxygen Cost Diagram (OCD)]. As clinical parameters, respiratory function was measured by means of pulmonary function test and arterial blood gas analysis. As physical parameters, age and body mass index was recorded. RESULTS: Patient's dyspnoea severities were 1.59 +/- 2.75, 2.03 +/- 2.82, 2.14 +/- 1.44, 6.81 +/- 4.07, 4.56 +/- 2.47 for MBS, VAS, MRCS, BDI, OCD, respectively (P = 0.08). It was proven that only %FEV(1) had a correlation with MRCS (r = -0.67, P = 0.01) and BDI (r = 0.58, P = 0.02). In addition to these determinations MRCS, MBS and VAS had a strong correlation defining their relationships with each other (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MRCS and BDI could assess dyspnoea during daily activities, so these scales showed strength correlation with physical and clinical values. Briefly MRCS is the most suitable dyspnoea scale for the patients with COPD, moreover, BDI, as the second suitable scale, is correlated only with MRCS. Based on these findings, we recommended that MRCS and BDI are appropriate scales for evaluation of dyspnoea in the patients with COPD.
Subject(s)
Dyspnea/diagnosis , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , Severity of Illness Index , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , TurkeyABSTRACT
Endobronchial metastases (EBM) from extrapulmonary malignant tumors are rare. The most common extrathoracic malignancies associated with EBM are breast, renal and colorectal carcinomas. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical, radiographic and bronchoscopic aspects of patients with EBM who were diagnosed between 1992 and 2002. Data about patients' clinical conditions, symptoms, radiographic and endoscopic findings, and histopathological examination results were investigated. EBM was defined as bronchoscopically visible lesions histopathologically identical to the primary tumor in patients with extrapulmonary malignancies. We found 15 cases with EBM. Primary tumors included breast (3), colorectal (3), and renal (2) carcinomas; Malignant Melanoma (2); synovial sarcoma (1), ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma (1), pheochromocytoma (1), hypernephroma (1), and Hodgkin's Disease (1). The most common symptoms were dyspnea (80%), cough (66.6%) and hemoptysis (33.3%). Multiple (40%) or single (13.3%) pulmonary nodules, mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy (40%), and effusion (40%) were the most common radiographic findings. The mean interval from initial diagnosis to diagnosis of EBM was 32.8 months (range, 0-96 months) and median survival time was 18 months (range, 4-84). As a conclusion, various extrapulmonary tumors can metastasize to the bronchus. Symptoms and radiographic findings are similar with those in primary lung cancer. Therefore, EBM should be discriminated from primary lung cancer histopathologically. Although mean survival time is usually short, long-term survivors were reported. Consequently, treatment must be planned according to the histology of the primary tumor, evidence of metastasis to other sites and medical status of the patient.
