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Biomedical subjects

M Perpiñá Tordera

Publications and source records attributed to M Perpiñá Tordera.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Internal consistency and validity of the Spanish version of the St. George's respiratory questionnaire for use in patients with clinically stable bronchiectasis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the reliability and validity of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) for use in patients with clinically stable bronchiectasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The SGRQ (50 items on 3 scales--symptoms, activity, and impact) was administered to 102 patients (mean [SD] age, 69.5 [8.7] years; 63% men) with clinically stable bronchiectasis. Disease severity was classified according parameters such as airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 second), colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, extent of bronchiectasis, symptoms, daily quantity of sputum, and number of exacerbations. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha and correlation between items and between item and scale), concurrent validity (correlation between items and clinical variables), predictive validity (correlation between items and severity), and construct validity (factorial analysis of main components) were assessed. RESULTS: The internal consistency of the SGRQ was excellent (Cronbach's alpha between 0.81 and 0.87 for the different scales, and 0.90 for the overall score). Concurrent validity was high, as correlations between items and clinical variables were significant and followed the expected distribution. The SGRQ differentiated between degrees of disease severity, regardless of the clinical variable used. The factorial analysis showed a construct of 4 factors that were only moderately similar to the original structure of the questionnaire, due mainly to inclusion of a small number of questions with conditioned response and others with low discriminatory capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The SGRQ shows excellent concurrent and predictive internal consistency and validity, though restructuring of the original construct would be advisable before use in patients with stable bronchiectasis.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

[How can we assess the perception of induced dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate various methods for studying the perception of dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a new parameter, the change in Borg scale rating, and others already in use: the linear regression slope and the application of Stevens' law to the response perception curve--ie change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (delta FEV1)--change in dyspnea (delta dyspnea). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A bronchial challenge test was performed on 70 patients with stable COPD and no contraindications for performing the test (European Respiratory Society criteria), during which dyspnea was measured (Borg scale) after each nebulization. Perception was analyzed using: a) the linear regression slope of delta FEV1 plotted against (delta dyspnea); b) the exponent n of Stevens' law (psi=k phi n, in which psi is delta dyspnea and phi is delta FEV1, with perception being poor when n<1 and good when n>1), and c) change in Borg: difference between dyspnea when FEV1 has fallen 20% and dyspnea after saline inhalation. Subjects were classified according to the slope and change in Borg as hypoperceivers, normal perceivers, or hyperperceivers. These 2 methods of classification were compared using the kappa statistic. RESULTS: According to the exponent n, all patients were hypoperceivers (n<1). According to the slope, there were 33 hypoperceivers, 28 normal perceivers, and 9 hyperperceivers. The change in Borg classified 37 subjects as hypoperceivers, 23 as normal perceivers, and 10 as hyperperceivers. All except 5 subjects were classified in the same way by the slope and the change in Borg (kappa=0.88). In most of the 5 cases of discrepancy, the slope classified subjects as better perceivers. CONCLUSIONS: The n exponent is not valid for evaluating the perception of dyspnea induced by a bronchial challenge test in COPD. Change in Borg is at least as useful as the slope for evaluating perception of dyspnea. The percentage of patients with this disease who are hyperperceivers is high.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Identification of new diagnostic categories within bronchial asthma and COPD. A review of traditional classifications].

The overlapping of function test results and clinical symptoms of airway diseases makes it difficult to differentiate sub-categories of diagnoses. Our aim was to identify "occult" categories within the traditional diagnostic labels for bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis. We studied 211 patients with those diagnoses by lung function testing (spirometry), variability of obstruction (bronchodilator test, peak expiratory flow, and bronchial challenge testing), atopy (prick test, total serum IgE), biological parameters (eosinophil count), frequency of smoking and symptoms. Multivariant analysis was used to group the data (Quick Cluster) and reclassify the subjects based on the selected parametric clusters with factorial analysis of the principal components. This analysis allowed us to identify four types of patients by diagnosis (atopic asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, simple chronic bronchitis and hyperresponsive chronic bronchitis) which we consider to represent the diagnostic categories with clinical relevance and which would overlap and be partially overshadowed by the diagnoses of bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Asthma↗
PubMed2002

[Construct validity of the Information and Decisions in Asthma questionnaire].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the construct validity of a new scale based on the Information and Decisions in Asthma (IDEA) questionnaire, which was designed to detect an asthmatic's desire to receive information, active seeking out of information and ability to make decisions about his or her disease. METHODOLOGY: The IDEA questionnaire containing 31 items in three subscales: desire for information (DI), seeking out information (SI) and decision making (DM) was answered by 120 asthmatic adults (54 men and 66 women; 86 intrinsic and 44 extrinsic) in stable condition and with varying levels of severity of disease. After interviews to take down medical histories (age of onset, years of evolution, visits to the emergency room within the past year), educational level and economic status, all patients completed a battery of tests assessing the following: quality of life (QL), alexithymia (TAS-20), health opinions (HOS), state-trait anxiety (STAI-E/R), asthma symptoms control (ASC), health locus control (HLC), somatosensory amplification (SAS) and personality (NEO-PI). RESULTS: Although most patients expressed interest in obtaining information, their level of active seeking and decision making were much lower. DI and SI were associated with higher educational levels and economic status, whereas DM correlated with the presence of atopy, age (young patients), sex (women) and few visits to the emergency room. Multiple regression analysis of psychological variables showed that DI and SI were accounted for mainly by the absence of alexithymia, whereas DM depended on an individual's behavioral involvement with his or her disease. CONCLUSION: The global analysis of these results indicate that the IDEA questionnaire has satisfactory construct validity, given that its dimensions are associated with sociodemographic and psychological characteristics that can be expected given its conceptual content.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Cough-inducing capsaicin challenge test in a healthy population].

OBJECTIVE: Cough-inducing agents are used to study the cough reflex in both pharmacological and physiological research. Clinical use of cough challenge testing as a tool in diagnostic algorithms has been limited by the lack of either uniform methodology or reference values for healthy subjects. The objective of this study was to determine the cough threshold for capsaicin in a sample of healthy subjects, while also evaluating the influence of age, sex and smoking. We also assessed the reliability and repeatability of the test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety-two healthy subjects were enrolled and given a capsaicin challenge test using concentrations from 0.49 to 500mg. The concentrations of capsaicin that triggered two and five coughs, C2 and C5 respectively, were recorded. The test was repeated three days later in a sub-sample of 30 subjects. RESULTS: No subject showed clinical or functional signs of bronchoconstriction. The mean values obtained for the study population were log C2:1.5 +/- 0.69 mM. and log C5: 2.1 +/- 0.4 microM. The geometric means were 31.6 and 134.8 microM for C2 and C5, respectively. No significant differences were found for sex or smoking; however age was significantly related to log C5 (r: -0.27, p < 0.05). Repeatability of the capsaicin test was high, with intra-class correlation coefficients and 95% confidence intervals of 0.75 (0.53-0.87) and 0.88 (0.76-0.97)for C2 and C5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The capsaicin challenge test was safe and easy to administer,gave reproducible results and allowed us to obtain reference values for a healthy population in our community.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Respiratory disorders in common variable immunodeficiency.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia, recurrent bacterial infections, and various immunologic abnormalities. The clinical presentation is generally that of recurrent pyogenic sinopulmonary infections. Our objectives were to study the prevalence of lung involvement and the response to intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy in 19 patients with CVID. Nineteen patients (12 men) with a mean age (SD) of 33.1 (17.1) years had a previous diagnosis of CVID and were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin replacement. All patients underwent complete pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) examination. Bronchiectasis was diagnosed in 11 (58%) patients and eight (42%) were multi-lobar bronchiectasis. Chronic airflow limitation (CAL) was present in 10 (53%) patients and a restrictive pattern was seen in one case. Eleven patients (58%) presented a decrease in single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lung (DL(CO)). Before intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy (INIRT), 84% of patients had suffered from at least one episode of pneumonia. Episodes of lower respiratory tract infection decreased significantly from 0.28 per patient and year before replacement therapy to 0.16 per patient and year after treatment. The mean duration of replacement therapy was 7.5 years. In conclusion lung involvement was frequent in patients with CVID. Long-term administration of intravenous gammaglobulin resulted in a substantial reduction of pneumonic episodes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Alveolar-arterial gradient of O2 in COPD with hypercapnia].

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess whether or not calculation of the alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference (AaPO2) from arterial blood gas measurements, breathing air, is useful to discriminate patients with hypecapnia associated with obstructive lung disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The effect of different values for the respiratory exchange ratio (R) was also analyzed. We calculated the AaPO2 in 45 patients with chronic airway obstruction and hypercapnia (PaCO2 in 45 mmHg) and hemodynamic stability using the standard alveolar gas equation, PAO2 = PIO2 - PACO2 [FIO2 + (1-FIO2)/R], with R assumed to vary from 0.6 to 1.1 and the simplified alveolar gas equation, PAO2 = PIO2 - PACO2/R, with R assumed to be 0.8. It was considered that a patient was correctly classified when the calculated AaPO2 was greater than predicted AaPO2. RESULTS: When the simplified alveolar gas equation was used, 9 (20%) of 45 patients were misclassified, whereas using the standard equation with R assumed to be 0.8, 41 (91%) of 45 patients were correctly classified. Modification of the value of R only allowed improving the classification of two further patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that calculation of the AaPO2 using the standard equation and R = 0.8 can be used to classify hypercapnic COPD patients. This laboratory parameter is of sufficient discriminant value to be used for clinical purposes.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Development of a new instrument for the evaluation of the desire for information and decision making in patients with asthma].

The aim of this study was to design a new instrument for determining the asthmatic's desire for information as well as his or her active search for it and ability to make decisions about his or her disease. A questionnaire titled Information and Decisions in Asthma (IDEA) was compiled by writing a list of preliminary questions related to each of the three aforementioned aspects. The list was revised and the length reduced vased on the responses and signs of comprehension from a first group of patients. The draft under study then consisted of 36 items in the following subscales: desire for information (DI), active search for information (AS) and decision making (DM) in three scenarios describing stable asthma, mild exacerbation and severe exacerbation. The questionnaire was then administered to 120 adult asthmatic of both sexes whose disease was stable and at different levels of severity. Cronbach alpha coefficients were satisfactory for DI and AS (0.86 and 0.77, respectively) and did not improve with the elimination of any items. Factorial analysis overall for DI and AS (total explained variance = 44.16%) detected two correlated factors (r = 0.34, p < 0.01). The DM subscale contained problems of internal consistency which were solved by removing five items. Factorial analysis for DM then revealed a tri-factorial structure in which each factor adjusted well to each of the scenarios. Analysis of these results indicates that the final version of the IDEA shows very acceptable internal consistency and validity, suggesting that it could be used to assess the aspects it is intended to measure.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2000

[Usefulness of the IUATLD respiratory symptoms questionnaire for the differential diagnosis of bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis].

Our objective was to determine the diagnostic value of the questionnaire devised by the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) for distinguishing between bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis. We therefore compared clinical diagnoses established independently by two pneumologists for 211 patients to the patients' responses to the IUATLD questionnaire. The questions were analyzed for their ability to discriminate using the responses as independent variables and the diagnosis as the dependent variable. The individual predictive capacity of each question and the discriminating functions that identified the best clusters of questions were calculated using bayesian analysis. Finally, we compared IUATLD results to tests that assessed lung function (spirometry), obstruction variability (bronchodilator test, peak flow, bronchial challenge test), atopy (prick test, serum IgE), and clinical and biological markers (eosinophilia). The questionnaire correctly diagnosed 91% of the patients and a cluster of five questions registered a sensitivity of 85.6%, specificity of 91.4%, a positive predictive value of 93.1% and a negative predictive value of 82.2%, thus proving superior to the other tests. These results, along with the ease of administering the questionnaire allows us to consider the IUATLD instrument to be a good tool for the differential diagnosis of bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Effects of air pollution and weather conditions on asthma exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Meteorological conditions and a high concentration of air pollutants have been associated with increased respiratory morbidity. However, few studies have examined the association between asthma exacerbation and air pollution. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the possible relationship of the concentration of black smoke and SO2 in the air, the local weather conditions and emergency room visits for asthma is investigated. METHODS: The weekly total of emergency room admissions for asthmatic adults during a 1-year period was recorded together with daily metereological conditions (average temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and barometric pressure) and average weekly levels of daily pollutant concentrations (black smoke and SO2). The relationship was assessed by stepwise regression linear models and analysis of variance. The analysis took into account season and metereological variables. RESULTS: Both air pollutants correlated significantly with emergency room admissions for asthma (SO2 [r = 0. 32], black smoke [r = 0.35]); however, multiple regression analysis showed that black smoke was the only significant predictor of weekly visits. There were approximately 3.5 admissions a week per SD of change (34.6 microg.m-3). There were no significant correlations between weekly emergency room visits and the weather variables. Analysis of the data stratified by season and weather conditions demonstrated that the association of black smoke with asthma exacerbation was more pronounced in autumn (r = 0.67) or when temperatures were higher than average. CONCLUSION: In our city, a high concentration of certain air pollutants is indeed associated with an increase in the number of hospital emergency room admissions for asthma.

Adolescent↗