...Stephen L. Demeter, MD, MPH There is an association between obesity and restriction on pulmonary function testing when relying on the forced vital capacity (FVC) as the defining parameter for restriction. Body mass index (BMI) may not be the best measure of obesity, but it is the most commonly used...

... in the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, adds a single word, “static,” that significantly effects how this test should be conducted. Routine pulmonary function tests (PFTs) provide information about a person's ability to breathe, eg chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma can stratify the severity...

..., or cardiac insult.” In their study, no test of pulmonary function, cardiac physiology, or pulmonary vascular pressure was abnormal. The authors 13 stated that “persistent dyspnea after COVID-19 was not associated with overt cardiopulmonary pulmonary impairment or exercise intolerance.” Cassar et al 14...

... Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. 2016 American Medical Association Accurate pulmonary impairment ratings are dependent on a valid and reliable lung function test and appropriate application of the criteria provided in the AMA Guides. There are 2 lung function tests: dynamic and static...

... causes. ILDs are so-called because they affect the interstitium of the lung pathologically and/or present as interstitial infiltrates radiographically. They are also called restrictive lung diseases since they usually cause restriction on static pulmonary function testing (a decrease in the residual...

... correlates have been reported among COVID-19 survivors during early convalescence across age groups. 9 One study from China found that pulmonary function was still impaired 1 month after hospital discharge. 10 Based on currently available studies and their data, hospitalized patients are more...

... adjusting for objective test findings the rating remains at its default percentage or lower, it may be raised one more percentage increment (grade) for each of the other performance measures (audibility, intelligibility, functional efficiency) that has the same value as the initial impairment class...

... to ½ flight and a daily, dry cough. His HP was unresponsive to steroids and he is now at maximal medical improvement (MMI). He smoked 1–2 packs of cigarettes per day since he was 21 but quit 2½ years ago when he began having exertional fatigue. His pulmonary function tests (PFTs) show a forced vital capacity...

... results when clinically indicated, such as electrocardiography, pulmonary function (especially DLCO), echocardiogram or treadmill stress testing, and advanced imaging, such as brain magnetic resonance imaging Consultation with the individual's primary care physician (PCP) or other caretaker...

... ; 123 : 659 – 664 . 4. American Thoracic Society . Lung function testing: selection of reference values and interpretive strategies. Am Rev Respir Dis . 1991 ; 144 : 1202 – 1218 . 5. Ghio AJ , Crapo RO , Elliott CG . Reference equations used to predict pulmonary function...

.... In brief, this revealed mild to moderate cognitive deficits. However, the physician evaluating impairment did not have access to the neurophysiological testing, only to this summary conclusion. A psychiatric IME was also performed. Her global assessment of functioning (GAF) score was 55. Multiple...

... or workability, it is understood that impairment ratings are used to determine financial settlements. Thus, it is incumbent on medical professionals to develop and use methods that accurately assess the impact of a medical condition on a person, his or her health, and his or her functionality. One long...

...–531 3.2c 37 76 Manual Muscle Testing Functional 17.2e 17-7–8 531–533 3.2d 38–39 76–77 Range of Motion Functional 17.2f 17-9–14 533–538 3.2e 40–45 77–78, 90–92 Joint Ankylosis Anatomic 17.2g 17-15–30 538–543 3.2f 46–61 79–82 Arthritis Anatomic 17.2h 17–31 544–545...

... in impairment rating, considers functional consequences of the impairment as a part of each physician's detailed history, and clarifies significant physical examination findings and clinical testing. The Sixth Edition uses the framework based upon the International Classification of Functioning...

... of the AMA Guides, including differences in ratings of the cardiovascular, pulmonary, digestive, and other systems. Critiquing the AMA Guides, the authors call for improvements, including the following: add a system to rate permanent impairments, including functional limitations; base impairment ratings...

...%). “If residual symptoms or objective findings impact the ability to perform ADL despite treatment, the higher percentage in each range should be assigned.” DRE categories VI, VII, and VIII have been eliminated, and spinal cord injury is now evaluated according to the functional approach from the nervous...

... age 18). In 1999, 44 million (22%) adults reported having a disability, with a prevalence rate of disability at 24% among women and 20% among men. Approximately 32 million adults had difficulty with one or more functional activities such as climbing a flight of stairs (19.4 million), walking three...

... Workers' Compensation (DLHWC).1 Injured workers who qualify for coverage are entitled to medical, disability, and rehabilitation benefits. A primary function of the Longshore Compensation Program is to act as a mediator in resolving disputed claims. By means of an informal conference, claimants...

... Methods (5th ed, 526). Providing ratings for “deconditioning” associated with musculoskeletal and other disorders by utilizing Table 5-12, Impairment Classification for Respiratory Disorders, Using Pulmonary Function and Exercise Test Results. (5th ed, 107). The suggestion is rate for exercise test...

... of impairment ratings, improve internal consistency and interrater reliability, promote greater precision, and simplify the rating process. The approach is based on a modification of the conceptual framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, 2 although many...