Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Tool to assess the efficacy of acute treatment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Tool-Patient-Reported Outcomes (EXACT-PRO) has been suggested as a reliable and valid measure for early assessment of COPD exacerbations and perceived recovery. However, there has been no evidence for EXACT-PRO efficacy in assessing recovery from treatment in a randomized controlled trial. The study evaluated the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of EXACT-PRO for the evaluation of the efficacy of acute treatment in patients with COPD exacerbation. METHODS: In a Phase III randomized controlled study for assessing the efficacy of antibiotic treatment on COPD exacerbation, EXACT-PRO was evaluated in the responders and non-responders. RESULTS: A total of 295 patients were analyzed (259 responders and 37 non-responders). Cronbach’s α was 0.96 for EXACT total, 0.96 for the breathlessness domain, 0.89 for the cough and sputum domain, and 0.93 for the chest symptoms domain. The EXACT score correlated with the COPD assessment test (CAT) score (r=0.8, P<0.01). A stronger decrease in the EXACT score was found in the responder group than in the non-responder group from the fifth day after treatment. The difference in the EXACT score from exacerbation onset to recovery was -6.3 in responders and -1.9 in non-responders (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: EXACT-PRO is a comprehensive and sensitive method for assessing symptomatic resolution of COPD exacerbations during treatment.