COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Score as a Marker of Disease Severity in COPD

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic persistent airflow obstruction due to chronic inflammation in the airways and lungs in response to noxious particles or gases. The evaluation of COPD involves spirometry, chest X ray, pulse oximetry and arterial blood gas analysis. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines recommend the use of COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score for assessing the severity of the disease. Aim: To ascertain the correlation between COPD Assessment Test (CAT) Scores and Spirometry in assessing the severity of airflow limitation in stable COPD patients and to assess the use of CAT Scores as a marker of severity of COPD in the absence of spirometry for appropriate management of patients. Methodology: A Cross-Sectional Study was conducted on 100 stable COPD patients of age > 40 years attending outpatient Department of General Medicine in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Chennai from January 2024 to June 2024. After obtaining Institutional Ethical Committee approval and informed consent from participants, data was collected for CAT questionnaire and spirometry. The data was entered in Microsoft excel and analyzed using one way ANOVA and SPSS software version 28.0. Conclusion: From this study we conclude that there is a correlation between CAT scores and severity of airflow limitation. Although CAT scores can’t be used as diagnostic tool, it gives a good measure of the severity of COPD and health-related impairment in the patients.