[Value of a brief ergometric test in the functional evaluation of chronic bronchopneumopathy]

The purpose of this work was to study the usefulness of short muscular exercise as part of standard respiratory function testing. A group of 19 patients with chronic bronchitis performed moderate load exercise (30 to 60 watts) on a cycle ergometer for 10 mn. Blood gases and acid-base balance were measured at rest, at the 2nd and the 10th mn of pedaling. In spite of highly significant relationships between resting values (blood gases, spirometry) and exercise data (blood gases), the scattering of the results precludes predicting the latter from the former. In contrast, the comparison between each of the two exercise results (2nd and 10th mn) shows not only a highly significant correlation but also a standard deviation to the regression lines which is objectively diminished. Thus, muscular exercise seems to give specific information that could be a useful component of respiratory function testing. Further, blood gas results obtained at the 2nd mn of muscular exercise suffice, thus obviating the need for a longer exercise programme that might be badly tolerated by patients.