International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2018
Association between respiratory impedance measured by forced oscillation technique and exacerbations in patients with COPD.
It is well known that increased airflow limitation as measured by spirometry is associated with the risk of exacerbation in patients with COPD. The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is a noninvasive method used to assess respiratory impedance (resistance and reactance) with minimal patient cooperation required. The clinical utility of the FOT in assessing the risk of exacerbations of COPD is yet to be determined. We examined the relationship between respiratory impedance as measured by FOT and exacerbations in patients with COPD. ⋯ There were significant differences in respiratory impedance between exacerbators and nonexacerbators in patients with moderate COPD. FOT is a promising tool for assessing future exacerbations in patients with COPD.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2018
Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Early Morning Symptoms of COPD Instrument (EMSCI).
Early morning respiratory symptoms impact quality of life and are often the most troublesome for patients with COPD. Reduction in symptoms and their impact are important treatment outcomes for COPD. The Early Morning Symptoms of COPD Instrument (EMSCI) is a daily diary designed to collect patients' report of the occurrence, severity, and impact of morning COPD symptoms. ⋯ The EMSCI consists of 4 scores: 6-item symptom severity, overall symptom severity, activity limitation, and rescue medication. The EMSCI is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating patients' experience of early morning COPD symptoms.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2018
Quantitative computed tomography features and clinical manifestations associated with the extent of bronchiectasis in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.
Few studies have investigated the quantitative computed tomography (CT) features associated with the severity of bronchiectasis in COPD patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the quantitative CT features and clinical values to determine the extent of bronchiectasis in moderate-to-severe COPD patients. ⋯ Moderate-to-severe bronchiectasis was associated with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, lower BMI, severe airflow obstruction, and lower BDR in moderate-to-severe COPD patients. Quantitative analysis of CT showed that severe air trapping was associated with the extent of bronchiectasis in these patients.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2018
Comparative StudyA comparative study of the five-repetition sit-to-stand test and the 30-second sit-to-stand test to assess exercise tolerance in COPD patients.
The sit-to-stand test (STST) has been used to evaluate the exercise tolerance of patients with COPD. However, mutual comparisons to predict poor exercise tolerance have been hindered by the variety of STST modes used in previous studies, which also did not consider patients' subjective perceptions of different STST modes. Our aim was to compare the five-repetition sit-to-stand test (5STS) with the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30STS) for predicting poor performance in the six-minute walking test and to evaluate patients' subjective perceptions to determine the optimal mode for clinical practice. ⋯ As a primary screening test for predicting poor 6MWD, the 5STS is similar to the 30STS in terms of sensitivity and specificity, but the 5STS has a better patient experience.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2018
Observational StudyNeutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is a better indicator of COPD exacerbation severity in neutrophilic endotypes than eosinophilic endotypes.
Complete blood count parameters provide novel inflammatory markers, namely neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR). We aimed to assess any differences in these novel inflammatory markers according to exacerbation severity in patients with COPD in both eosinophilic and neutrophilic endotypes. ⋯ In COPD exacerbation, the inflammatory markers show different increases in each COPD endotypes. These findings may be crucial for defining exacerbation endotypes, the severity of exacerbation, and treatment response during follow-up in COPD patients.