Etude de validation et d’évaluation du questionnaire Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ) de dépistage de la Broncho-Pneumopathie Chronique Obstructive chez les employés de l’Etablissement Public Hospitalier de Laghouat

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaseis one of the most common diseases that can cause a major public health problem, with a significant morbidity and mortality rate. Post-bronchodilator spirometry is required to make thediagnosis of COPD (1). different screening questionnaires have been developed to select candidates with a high risk to realize this tool (1). The main objective of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the LFQ questionnaire, one ofthese screening questionnaires, andto compare them with two other questionnaires (the PUMA and COPD-PS questionnaires). The first targeted population was representative of the general population, which are the patients’ escorts to the emergency room. Unfortunately, when initiating a pre-study, there were obstacles caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak which made such a study unrealistic. These obstacles include: the quarantine, also, ahigh number of subjects that were suspected of having COVID-19 in the emergency room, last but not least, there was a high rate of rejections to participate and perform spirometry. Therefore, we have decided to carry out our questionnaire on a staff of 198 employees of Laghouat public hospital. This population has specific characteristics that motivated our choice. It is better educated and more willing to participate in this type of scientific research, in addition, it has an easier access to its workplace, younger, and have less risk of COVID-19. Unfortunately, this relatively young aged samplehave greatly limited our work and was the main reason for the impossibility to achieve our objectives. The study of the socio-morphological characteristics of this population finds a more feminine tendency with a sex ratio at 0.7, and relatively young with an average age of 32 years. The prevalence of smoking was 59%. The frequency of the main symptoms observed in this pathology was dyspnea (15.6%), cough (12.6%) and sputum (10.2%). The LFQ questionnaire was positive in 4.5% of the cases, while for the PUMA and COPD-PS questionnaires the positivity was found in 1.5% and 01% of cases respectively. Our study was able to diagnose one single case of COPD with a frequency of 0.05%. This value was insufficient to study the sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires targeted by the objectives of this study (Question LFQ, PUMA and COPD-PS). This study will provide a good basis for further studies on hospital staff at EPH Laghouat, for COPD and for screening questionnaires