The usefulness of dyspnea rating in evaluation for pulmonary impairment/disability in patients with chronic pulmonary disease.

Park, Jae Min; Lee, Jun Gu; Kim, Young Sam; Chang, Yoon Soo; Ahn, Kang Hyun; Cho, Hyun Myung; Kim, Se Kyu; Chang, Joon; Kim, Sung Kyu; Lee, Won Young

doi:1999.46.2.204

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 46(2); 1999 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1999;46(2):204-214.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1999.46.2.204 Published online February 1, 1999.

The usefulness of dyspnea rating in evaluation for pulmonary impairment/disability in patients with chronic pulmonary disease.

Jae Min Park, Jun Gu Lee, Young Sam Kim, Yoon Soo Chang, Kang Hyun Ahn, Hyun Myung Cho, Se Kyu Kim, Joon Chang, Sung Kyu Kim, Won Young Lee

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
²Institute of Chest Disease, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Resting pulmonary function tests(PFTs) are routinely used in the evaluation of pulmonary impairment/disability. But the significance of the cardiopulmonary exercise test(CPX) in the evaluation of pulmonary impairment is controvertible. Many experts believe that dyspnea, though a necessary part of the assessment, is not a reliable predictor of impairment. Nevertheless, oxygen requirements of an organis m at rest are different from at activity or exercising, and a clear relationship between resting PFTs and exercise tolerance has not been established in patients with chronic pulmonary disease. As well, the relationship between resting PFTs and dyspnea is complex. To investigate the relationship of dyspnea, Resting PFTs, and CPX, we evaluated the patients of stabilized chronic pulmonary disease with clinical dyspnea rating(baseline dyspnea index, BDI), resting PFTs, and CPX. METHOD: The 50 patients were divided into two groups: non-severe and severe group on basis of results of resting PFTs(by criteria of ATS), CPX(by criteria of ATS or Ortega), and dyspnea rating(by focal score of BDI). Groups were compared with respect to pulmonary function, indices of CPX, and dyspnea rating. RESULTS: 1) According to the criteria of pulmonary impairment with resting PFTs, VO2 max, and focal score of BDI were significantly low in the severe group(p<0.01). According to the criteria of VO2max(ml/kg/min) and VO2max(%), the parameters of resting PFTs, except FEV1, were not significantly different between non-severe and severe(p>0.05). According to focal score(

Key Words: Chronic pulmonary disease, Dyspnea, Resting pulmonary function tests, Cardiopulmonary exercise test, Pulmonary impairment/disability