Integrating forced vital capacity and fibrotic radiological score in interstitial lung disease (FIBRO-ILD)

<bold>Background:</bold> The prognosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is often linked to the disease extent at the time of diagnosis. <bold>Objective:</bold> This study aims to investigate the predictive value of baseline forced vital capacity (FVC) and lung involvement on computed tomography (CT) on the clinical outcomes, specifically long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) use and survival of ILD patients. <bold>Methodology:</bold> A retrospective analysis was conducted among ILD patients treated at Institut Perubatan Respiratori from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2022. Multivariate analyses were employed to assess the predictive value of selected clinical parameters on clinical outcomes. <bold>Results:</bold> Out of 256 cases screened, 85 met the eligibility criteria. The mean age was 61.2±13.3 years old, demonstrating a male predominance of 52.9%. The median duration of symptoms before presentation was 10 months, with coughing prevailing as the most common symptom (81.2%). FVC of less than 40% (<italic>p</italic>=0.012) and pulmonary involvement exceeding 50% on CT thorax (<italic>p</italic>=0.027) independently predicted the need for LTOT. Advancing age increased the odds of LTOT use by 1.17 (95% CI: 1.004, 1.364). Furthermore, FVC of <40% emerged as a robust predictor for both LTOT use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 23.6, 95% CI: 2.6, 211.0) and overall survival (aOR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.70) among the ILD patients. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our study highlights the pivotal role of early identification of ILD patients at risk of clinical deterioration, guiding timely interventions and predicting overall outcomes. These insights contribute to the nuanced understanding of ILD prognosis, aiding clinicians in personalised patient management strategies.