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[6 minute walking test as stress test for patients treated by intermittent self-ventilation]
S Wehgartner-Winkler1, F Bullemer, U Marx
1Zentralkrankenhaus Gauting.
Background:
Until now there are no data about the exercise capacity of patients with chronic ventilatory pump failure before and during IPPV.
Patients And Methods:
55 patients with chronic ventilatory failure-20 patients before IPPV, 35 patients during mechanical ventilation with a mean of 16.5 months-were studied by the six-minute walking test. Eight patients were sampled in a follow-up study before and during IPPV with a mean of 2 months.
Results:
The median walking distance was reduced to 273 in. The exercise capacity of the follow-up patients was not improved. The arterial pO2 during exercise fell markedly, arterial pCO2 increased only moderate.
Conclusion:
The exercise capacity of patients with chronic ventilatory failure is markedly reduced. Because of the significant oxygen desaturation on exercise we may frequently indicate ambulatory oxygen therapy.