Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Assessing the quality of forced vital capacity measurement in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors' conclusion
A significant percent of SSc patients had low quality FVC measurement.
Study context
- Population
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and age/sex matched controls undergoing spirometry
- Participants
- 98 vs 100
- Exposure
- SSc patients vs age/sex matched controls
- SScn = 98
- Controlsn = 100reference
- Outcome
- Rate of high quality FVC measurement, graded per updated American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines
Methodological detailsage/sex matched controls
- Age/sex matched controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
High-quality FVC measurement (ATS/ERS guidelines), rate
- SSc vs Controls: P = 0.002
- Abstract prints "(80 % vs 60.2 %)" after "lower in SSc patients compared to controls"; values assigned per the words (SSc lower)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Factors in SSc with low vs high quality forced vital capacity (FVC)
- Diffuse disease, ILD, anti-topoisomerase 1 antibody positivity, immunosuppressive use, flexion contractures of hands, reduced mouth opening and decreased chest expansion more frequent with low quality FVC (p < 0.05 for all)
- Muscle weakness and medium/high risk of malnutrition numerically higher with low quality FVC
- More than one condition that may affect FVC quality significantly more frequent with low quality FVC
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Assessing the quality of forced vital capacity measurement in patients with systemic sclerosis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 20 May 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →