Abstract
Measuring daily physical activity and exercise capacity is recommended in the routine care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 4-m gait speed (4mGS) is simple and effective in stratifying patients according to exercise performance, dyspnea, health status, and prognosis. We assessed the reliability of the 4mGS as a clinical marker by examining its association with established clinical indicators among hospitalized patients with COPD. This retrospective study included 78 patients hospitalized with COPD (mean age: 76.3±0.9 years; males, n=69) between January 2016 and June 2018 who were assessed using the 4mGS and divided into slow (<0.8m/s) and normal (≥0.8m/s) 4mGS groups. Clinical characteristics were compared, including death during the observation period, time to first exacerbation, and long-term oxygen therapy requirement. There were strong relationships between 4mGS performance, the 6-min walk test (R=0.70; p<0.0001), and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (R=0.68; p<0.0001) among the 78 patients. The slow 4mGS group had a higher frequency of death during the observation period (p=0.0095) and a greater requirement for long-term oxygen therapy (p=0.0063). The 4mGS correlated with inspiratory capacity (IC) and IC/total lung capacity ratios, which are respiratory failure indicators. The 4mGS is a simple and easy method of assessing the physical condition as well as estimating the prognosis of patients with COPD, and may serve as a useful marker in home medical treatment or clinical settings.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have