Functional Assessment of Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Using Squat-to-stand Test.

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Clinical Assessment
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impacts lung function and overall health, leading to reduced individual functional status.
• Assessing functional status is crucial for tailoring therapy and rehabilitation programs for COPD patients.
• The Squat-to-stand test (SqTST) is proposed as a practical alternative to existing tests, particularly for rural populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Squat-to-stand test (SqTST) as a tool for assessing functional status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• To determine the relationship between COPD severity and performance on the SqTST.
• To assess the diagnostic accuracy of SqTST in identifying severe COPD cases.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study involving 60 diagnosed COPD patients was conducted.
• Patients' airflow obstruction severity was categorized using GOLD criteria based on spirometry.
• The Squat-to-stand test (SqTST) was administered to assess functional status, with data analyzed using SPSS.

Main Results:

• 35.0% of patients had very severe COPD, and 48.3% demonstrated abnormal SqTST results.
• A statistically significant correlation (p=0.001) was observed between COPD severity and SqTST performance.
• The SqTST showed high diagnostic accuracy, with 82.1% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity for predicting severe COPD.

Conclusions:

• The Squat-to-stand test (SqTST) is a clinically valuable and practical tool for assessing the functional status of stable COPD patients.
• SqTST demonstrates significant utility in correlating with COPD severity and identifying severe cases.
• This test offers a reliable method for functional assessment in COPD management and rehabilitation planning.