Background: If descriptors of the sensation of breathlessness are able to differentiate between medical conditions, the language of breathlessness could potentially have a role in differential diagnosis. This study investigated whether the language used to describe the sensation of breathlessness accurately categorized older individuals with and without a prior diagnosis of COPD.
Methods: Using a parallel-group design, participants with and without a prior diagnosis of COPD volunteered words and phrases and endorsed up to three statements to describe their sensation of breathlessness. Cluster analysis (v-fold cross-validation) was applied, and subjects were clustered by their choice of words. Cluster membership was then compared to original group membership (COPD vs non-COPD), and predictive power was assessed.
Results: Groups were similar for age and gender (COPD, n = 94; 48 men; mean age, 70 +/- 10 years [+/- SD]; vs non-COPD, n = 55; 21 men; mean age, 69 +/- 13 years) but differed significantly in breathlessness-related impairment, intensity, and quality of life (p < 0.0001). Cluster membership corresponded accurately with original group classifications (volunteered, 85%; and up to three statements, 68% agreement). Classification based on a single best descriptor (volunteered [62%] or endorsed [55%]) was less accurate for group membership.
Conclusions: Language used to describe the sensation of breathlessness differentiated people with and without a prior diagnosis of COPD when descriptors were not limited to a single best word or statement.
Purpose: To verify the number of patients with COPD responders to two different home-based rehabilitation programs.
Methods: This was a blinded, randomized, and controlled clinical trial. The six-minute step test (6MST), one-minute sit-stand test (1-MSTST), six-minute walk test (6MWT), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), monitoring of physical activity in daily life, and isometric quadriceps muscle strength were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Background: Pectus excavatum is the most frequent congenital defect of the chest wall. Surgical treatment with modified Ravitch-type repair is recommended in patients with cosmetic dissatisfaction or considerable cardiopulmonary symptoms. We aimed to analyze the surgical, aesthetic, cardiopulmonary functions and patient satisfaction outcomes of modified Ravitch repair pre and postoperatively.
The study investigated how well different age groups and individuals with COPD can detect and perceive breathing resistance during simulated loads, emphasizing the importance for airway protection and breathlessness management.
It involved 18 participants with COPD, 17 older adults, and 23 young adults, comparing their ability to detect changes in airway resistance and their perceived effort while breathing.
Findings showed that older adults had a steeper relationship between perceived effort and resistance compared to younger adults, suggesting that they may experience greater difficulty in respiratory effort due to increased awareness of breathing resistance, especially at higher loads.
The review focuses on understanding exertional dyspnea and exercise intolerance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to enhance treatment strategies.
Recent studies emphasize the relationship between ventilatory demand and capacity, highlighting the effects of the brain on symptom perception and emotional response.
Successful management of dyspnea involves combining drug treatments and personalized non-drug interventions to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for COPD patients.
Objective: To perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Dyspnea Index (DI) in Brazilian Portuguese (BP).
Methods: This validation study followed the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments recommendations. The translation was conducted in five stages: translation, synthesis, back translation, committee review, and pretest performance.
