Cross-cultural adaptation and assessment of reproducibility of the Duke Activity Status Index for COPD patients in Brazil

The six-minute step test can predict COPD exacerbations: a 36-month follow-up study

The six-minute step test (6MST) has been shown to be effective in assessing exercise capacity in individuals with COPD regardless of severity and, despite its easy execution, accessibility and validity, information on the prognostic power of this test remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the 6MST can predict the occurrence of exacerbations in patients with COPD. This is a prospective cohort study with a 36-month follow-up in patients with COPD. All patients completed a clinical assessment, followed by pulmonary function testing and a 6MST. The 6MST was performed on a 20 cm high step; heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, BORG dyspnea and fatigue were collected. Sixty-four patients were included in the study, the majority being elderly men. Performance on the 6MST demonstrated lower performance compared to normative values proposed in the literature, indicating a reduced functional capacity. Kaplan Meier analysis revealed that ≤ 59 steps climbed during the 6MST was a strong predictor of COPD exacerbation over a 36-month follow-up. We have identified a minimal threshold number of steps (≤ 59) obtained through the 6MST may be able predict the risk of exacerbations in patients with COPD.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of Duke Activity Status Index in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PURPOSE

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the original Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) into the Arabic language and examine its psychometric properties in Arabic speaking patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The DASI was translated into the Arabic language and tested on 70 Arabic patients with COPD. Patients with COPD completed also the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) on the first visit. On the second visit, the patients with COPD completed the Arabic version of DASI along with the global rating of change scale (GRC). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity were examined.

RESULTS

Seventy Arabic speaking patients with COPD (56 males), mean (SD) age was 63.2 (11.1) year, completed the study. The patients reported no difficulty in understanding and completing the scale. Three items were modified and adapted to the Arabic culture. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.87, and the ICC_2,1 was 0.95. The Arabic version of DASI correlated with the 6MWT (r = 0.55), the total score of SGRQ (r = -0.64) and its activity domain (r = -0.67), all p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

The Arabic version of DASI is a simple, quick, reliable, and valid measure of functional capacity in Arabic speaking patients with COPD.Implications for practiceThe Arabic DASI can be used in all Arabic-speaking countries given that the scale was adapted to standard Arabic language.The Arabic DASI would yield similar scores with administrations over time in patients with unchanged condition and stable COPD.This questionnaire could be used for screening of functional capacity in COPD in primary care settings.

The Effect of a Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program on Respiratory Function and Functional Capacity on Patients After 1 Month to Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Physical exercise is prescribed in populations with chronic diseases, but data are scarce in the liver transplantation (LT) setting.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, maximal inspiratory pressure, maximal expiratory pressure, 6-minute walking test (6MWT), 6-minute step test (6MST), Duke Activity Status Index, VO₂ (mL/kg/min), and health-related quality of life (in patients submitted to a rehabilitation program, comprising physical exercise training, breathing techniques, and educational sessions after LT.

METHODS

This cohort study enrolled patients to an 8-week period of thrice weekly comprehensive supervised rehabilitation program after 1 month of LT. A nonrandomized control cohort of LT patients were selected to match the rehabilitation group based on specific demographic data and severity of disease.

RESULTS

The rehabilitation group, compared with the control group, showed a significant improvement in respiratory parameters (forced vital capacity [0.33L vs 0.13L,P < .01]); exercise capacity (6MWT and 6MST 71.1 vs 34.1 meters; and 30.5 vs 7.5 steps; respectively P < .01); Duke Activity Status Index scores and VO₂ (21.3 vs 10.2 and 9 vs 4.3; respectively P < .01); respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure 21.1 vs 15.1 cmH₂O and maximal expiratory pressure 21.2 vs 10.2 cmH₂O; P < .01); and quality of life (SF-36 physical component summary 12.4 vs 2.9 P < .01).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that improvements in physical fitness, respiratory parameters, and quality of life are achieved with a comprehensive rehabilitation program initiated early after LT.

Comparing cardiac function and structure and their relationship with exercise capacity between patients with stable COPD and recent acute exacerbation: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Patients with COPD are prone to cardiac remodeling; however, little is known about cardiac function in patients recovering from an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) and its association with exercise capacity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiac function and structure and to compare their relationship with exercise capacity in patients with a recent AECOPD and patients with clinically stable COPD.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study including 40 COPD patients equally divided into two groups: recent AECOPD group (AEG) and clinically stable COPD group (STG). Echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function and chamber structure. The six-minute walk distance (6MWD) and the Duke Activity Status Index (estimated Vo2) were used in order to assess exercise capacity.

RESULTS

No significant differences in cardiac function and structure were found between the groups. The 6MWD was associated with early/late diastolic mitral filling velocity ratio (r = 0.50; p < 0.01), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (r = -0.33; p = 0.03), and right atrium volume index (r = -0.34; p = 0.04), whereas Vo2 was associated with right atrium volume index (r = -0.40; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of the clinical condition (recent AECOPD vs. stable COPD), the cardiac function and structure were similar between the groups, and exercise capacity (determined by the 6MWD and Vo2) was associated with cardiac features.

Assessment of functional status by the Duke Activity Status Index in stable bronchiectasis

INTRODUCTION

Bronchiectasis is a growing global health problem.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

To evaluate the functional status of stable bronchiectasis patients recruited from a terciary hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil.The patients were submitted to spirometry, six minute walking test (6MWT), step test (6MST),   measurement of fibrinogen,E-FACED scores(incorporates FEV1 ,age,colonisation by Pseudomonas,radiological extension, dyspnoea and exarcebation) and Duke Activity Status Index(DASI) test.Each item of DASI scored proportionally to the metabolic equivalentes(METs). The sum of DASI scores was applied for an estimation of oxygen consumption(VO2).

RESULTS

The sample comprised 101 patients.Patients with post-tuberculosis bronchiectsis had the lowest level of functional parameters than those with others etiologies[DASI(19.9 ±10.9 vs 31.2±14.4 p<0.001); VO2 (18.1 ± 4.7 vs 23.1 ± 6.1 p< 0.001 respectively)]. DASI scores and estimated VO2 correlated with E-FACED(r= -0.44 p=0.001; and  r= -0.44 p=0.001 respectively) and 6MST r= 0.37 p<0.001 and r=0.40 p<0.001 respectively).

CONCLUSION

After multivariate analysis , bronchiectasis post-TB , E-FACED and 6MWT explained the impact on performance in bronchiectasis patients.

Does Duke Activity Status Index help predicting functional exercise capacity and long-term prognosis in patients with pulmonary hypertension?

BACKGROUND

To investigate the association of Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) with 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and WHO-Functional Class (WHO-FC) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), as well as exploring whether DASI can discriminate between the patients with better and worse long-term prognosis according to 400 m cut-off score in 6MWT.

METHODS

Eighty-five medically stable PH patients who met eligibility criteria were included. All patients were evaluated using 6MWT and DASI. The prognostic utility of the DASI was assessed using univariate linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

The DASI was an independent predictor for both 6MWT and WHO-FC, explaining 50% of variance in 6MWT and 30% of variance in WHO-FC class (p < 0.001). In addition, DASI significantly correlated to 6MWT (r = 0.702) and WHO-FC class (r = 0.547). The ROC curve analysis revealed that the DASI had a discriminative value for identifying the patients with better long-term prognosis (p < 0.001), with an area under ROC curve of 0.867 [95% CI = 0.782-0.952]. The DASI ≥26 was the optimal cut-off value for better long-term prognosis, having sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.88.

CONCLUSIONS

The DASI is a valid tool reflecting functional exercise capacity in patients with PH. Considering its ability to discriminate between the patients with better or worse long-term prognosis, it may help identifying the patients at higher risk.

Duke Activity Status Index cut-off scores for assessing functional capacity after stroke

PURPOSE

To determine the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) cut-off scores and verify if they would be able to discriminate between chronic stroke individuals, who had poor, from those who had good functional capacity (FC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study, where 92 individuals with chronic stroke had their FC measured by DASI scores and were classified into community and non-community walkers. Both the receiver operating characteristic and the area under the curve were used to determine the best DASI cut-off values that could discriminate between individuals, who had poor, from those who had good FC. Binary logistic regression analysis is used to investigate the ability of DASI scores in predicting community walkers.

RESULTS

DASI cut-off value of 31.95 showed to be sensitive and specific to differentiate between individuals, who had poor from good FC. The regression analysis revealed that the chance of individuals, who had better FC (≥ 31.95) be community walkers was 10.69 (95%CI:4-32.75) times higher than that of those who had poor FC (< 31.95). The model demonstrated good predictive ability.

CONCLUSIONS

The DASI cut-off value of 31.95 showed to be sensitive and specific to distinguish between chronic stroke individuals, who had poor, from those who had good FC.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe identification of individuals, who have good and poor functional capacity, is important for clinical reasoning and decision-making in stroke rehabilitation.The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) is a clinically useful tool for the assessment of functional capacity, based upon the performance of common daily living activities.The DASI cut-off of 31.95 points was able to discriminate between individuals with stroke, who had poor, from those who had good functional capacity.The chance of individuals, who had good functional capacity (DASI ≥ 31.95) be community walkers was 10.69 times higher than that of those who had poor functional capacity (DASI < 31.95).The findings support the use of the DASI as a simple tool for the assessment of functional capacity, especially in low-resource settings.

Functional status measures for the COPD patient: A practical categorization

The objective of this study is to review available functional status measures (FSMs) validated for use in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) population and categorizing the measures by their commonalities to formulate a framework that supports clinicians in the selection and application of FSMs. A literature review identifying valid and reliable measures of functional status for people with COPD was undertaken. Measures were thematically analyzed and categorized to develop a framework for clinical application. A variety of measures of activity levels exist, with 35 included in this review. Thematic categorization identified five categories of measures: daily activity, impact, surrogate, performance-based, and disability-based measures. The vast variety of FSMs available for clinicians to apply with people who have COPD may be overwhelming, and selection must be thoughtfully based on the nature of the population being studied/evaluated, and aims of evaluation being conducted, not simply as a standard measure used at the institution. Psychometric testing is a critical feature to a strong instrument and issues of reliability, validity, and responsiveness need to be understood prior to measurement use. Contextual nature of measures such as language used and activities measured is also important. A categorical framework to support clinicians in the selection and application of FSMs has been presented in this article.

Functional capacity and mental state of patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Abstract Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are a serious public health problem in Brazil. Myocardial revascularization surgery (MRS) as well as cardiac valve replacement and repair are procedures indicated to treat them. Thus, extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is still widely used in these surgeries, in which patients with long ECC times may have greater neurological deficits. Neurological damage resulting from MRS can have devastating consequences such as loss of independence and worsening of quality of life. Objective: To assess the effect of cardiac surgery on a patient’s mental state and functional capacity in both the pre- and postoperative periods. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with convenience sampling of subjects undergoing MRS and valve replacement. Participants were administered the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) in the pre- and postoperative periods, as well as before their hospital discharge. Results: This study assessed nine patients (eight males) aged 62.4 ± 6.3 years with a BMI of 29.5 ± 2.3 kg/m2. There was a significant decrease in DASI scores and VO2 from preoperative to postoperative status (p = 0.003 and p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed a loss of cognitive and exercise capacity after cardiac surgery. A larger sample however is needed to consolidate these findings.

Functional Status Assessment of Patients With COPD: A Systematic Review of Performance-Based Measures and Patient-Reported Measures

Presently, there is no recommendation on how to assess functional status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This study aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate these measures.Studies on measures of COPD patients' functional status published before the end of January 2015 were included using a search filters in PubMed and Web of Science, screening reference lists of all included studies, and cross-checking against some relevant reviews. After title, abstract, and main text screening, the remaining was appraised using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) 4-point checklist. All measures from these studies were rated according to best-evidence synthesis and the best-rated measures were selected.A total of 6447 records were found and 102 studies were reviewed, suggesting 44 performance-based measures and 14 patient-reported measures. The majority of the studies focused on internal consistency, reliability, and hypothesis testing, but only 21% of them employed good or excellent methodology. Their common weaknesses include lack of checks for unidimensionality, inadequate sample sizes, no prior hypotheses, and improper methods. On average, patient-reported measures perform better than performance-based measures. The best-rated patient-reported measures are functional performance inventory (FPI), functional performance inventory short form (FPI-SF), living with COPD questionnaire (LCOPD), COPD activity rating scale (CARS), University of Cincinnati dyspnea questionnaire (UCDQ), shortness of breath with daily activities (SOBDA), and short-form pulmonary functional status scale (PFSS-11), and the best-rated performance-based measures are exercise testing: 6-minute walk test (6MWT), endurance treadmill test, and usual 4-meter gait speed (usual 4MGS).Further research is needed to evaluate the reliability and validity of performance-based measures since present studies failed to provide convincing evidence. FPI, FPI-SF, LCOPD, CARS, UCDQ, SOBDA, PFSS-11, 6MWT, endurance treadmill test, and usual 4MGS performed well and are preferable to assess functional status of COPD patients.

Relationships between self-reported and performance-based measures of functional capacity in individuals with chronic stroke

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between self-reported and valid performance-based measures of functional capacity in individuals with chronic stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Self-reported measures of functional capacity of 31 individuals with chronic stroke were assessed by the Duke Activity Status Index scores, whereas performance-based measures were assessed by the distance covered (in meters) and oxygen consumption (relative oxygen consumption, in ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) during the six-minute walking test. [Results] The subjects had a mean age of 58.6±13 years and a mean time since the onset of stroke of 28.3±15.1 months. They had a mean Duke Activity Status Index of 27.3±14.4, mean distance covered of 325.2±140.2 m, and mean relative oxygen consumption of 9.6±2.3 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. Significant, positive, and moderate to good correlation coefficients were found between the Duke Activity Status Index scores and the distance covered during the six-minute walking test (r=0.68). Significant, positive, and fair associations were also found between the Duke Activity Status Index scores and relative oxygen consumption values obtained during the six-minute walking test (r=0.45). [Conclusion] The findings of the present study support the clinical use of the Duke Activity Status Index as a tool to assist in clinical evaluations of functional capacity of individuals with chronic stroke.

Duke Activity Status Index for cardiovascular diseases: validation of the Portuguese translation

BACKGROUND

The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) assesses the functional capacity of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but there is no Portuguese version validated for CVD.

OBJECTIVES

To translate and adapt cross-culturally the DASI for the Portuguese-Brazil language, and to verify its psychometric properties in the assessment of functional capacity of patients with CVD.

METHODS

The DASI was translated into Portuguese, then checked by back-translation into English and evaluated by an expert committee. The pre-test version was first evaluated in 30 subjects. The psychometric properties and correlation with exercise testing was performed in a second group of 67 subjects. An exploratory factor analyses was performed in all 97 subjects to verify the construct validity of the DASI.

RESULTS

The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.87 and for the inter-rater reliability was 0.84. Cronbach's α for internal consistency was 0.93. The concurrent validity was verified by significant positive correlations of DASI scores with the VO2max (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). The factor analysis yielded two factors, which explained 54% of the total variance, with factor 1 accounting for 40% of the variance. Application of the DASI required between one and three and a half minutes per patient.

CONCLUSIONS

The Brazilian version of the DASI appears to be a valid, reliable, fast and easy to administer tool to assess functional capacity among patients with CVD.