Identificação de dinapenia em pacientes com DPOC exacerbada e sua relevância no prognóstico clínico

Abstract

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the marked disuse of the peripheral musculature due to bed rest decreases peripheral muscle strength and muscular performance, known as dynapenia. However, the presence of this condition in patients with COPD in the acute phase of the exacerbation, as well as its consequences in the prognosis of the disease, were still little explored. Objectives: To identify the prevalence of dynapenia in patients with exacerbation and post-exacerbation COPD, to assess peripheral muscle strength 30 days after the exacerbation, and to compare it with acute exacerbation and one another group of patients in the stable phase of the disease, in addition to verifying if the decrease in hand grip strength could predict worsening of quality of life, new exacerbations and death in a period of 30 days post-exacerbation. Method: This was a longitudinal observational study in which 40 patients of both genders (age> 50 years) with moderate to very severe obstruction COPD were divided into two groups: exacerbated group (GEx) and your follow-up (GEx follow-up) and stable group (GEst). The patients were submitted to strength tests of the peripheral musculature, using manual isometric dynamometers, in order to quantify the muscular strength between the groups. Results: Dinapenia was identified in 95% in the GEx, 86% in the GEx follow-up and 47% in the GEst. In the assessment of peripheral muscle strength, when comparing the GEx and GEx follow-up groups, no significant differences were identified. In the GEx follow-up and GEst groups a significant difference was seen in the following evaluations: knee extension (p = 0.003), percentage of knee extension (p = 0.013), elbow flexion (p = 0.015), shoulder flexion P = 0.004), hand grip strength (p = 0.004) and percentage of hand grip strength (p = 0.011). As a predictor of poor outcomes, hand grip strength showed a statistically significant degree of accuracy (area = 0.94) when lower than 14 kgf. In addition, we found difference in the distance walked in the 6MWT when comparing the groups GEx and GEx follow-up (p = 0.018). And when comparing the GEx follow-up and GEst groups with a statistically significant difference in the distance walked on the 6MWT (p = 0.020), on the percentage of distance covered in the 6MWT (p = 0.007), in CAT (p = 0.01) and SGRQ (p <0.0001). Conclusion: From the results found, it can be verified that patients with exacerbated and post-exacerbation COPD present a significantly higher percentage of dynapenia when compared to patients in a more stable state of the disease, besides presenting a lower peripheral muscle strength. Furthermore, it can be observed that exacerbated patients presenting a handgrip strength of less than 12 kgf are more likely to present poor outcomes within 30 days post-exacerbation.