[Evaluation of the pre-operative exercise capacity as survival marker in the lung transplant recipients]

To make an independent evaluation of the capacity for exercise as a predictive factor in lung transplant recipients.

Retrospective study.

Lung transplant unit of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a university hospital.

We analyzed 132 lung transplants in a total of 130 patients. The patients were monitorized up to June 18, 2005 or their death.

An evaluation was made of their pre-operative exercise capacity with the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). Long-term survival in relationship with the walking test value was also assessed. The survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparison between curves was made with the Log-Rank methods and the hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression.

The association between mortality and the walking test value showed a hazard ratio of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99-1.00) per metric unit (meter), (p = 0.282). The patients were classified according to the distance covered in the 4 groups: group 1 (distance covered less than 100 meters), group II (distance covered between 101-200 meters), group III (distance covered between 201 and 300 meters) and group IV (distance greater than 301 meters). No significant differences were found when comparing the survival curves of the four groups (p = 0.709). The multivariant analysis also did not show any statistical significance.

We do not believe that the distance covered in the 6MWT conducted in the study protocol in the lung transplant candidates is useful as a marker to predict long-term mortality in patients undergoing lung transplant.