Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test: usefulness for monitoring recovery and predicting poor course of disease after exacerbations.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) for evaluating recovery from an acute exacerbation of chronic COPD. To assess whether the CAT score used along with a COPD exacerbation severity scale can better predict risk of a poor course of disease.

Methods: Prospective multicenter cohort study enrolling patients who attended hospital emergency departments with symptoms of exacerbated COPD.