ATS Pulmonary Function Laboratory Manual

chapter 18

6. Course Location and Layout While the standardized straight track length is 30 meters (100 feet), not all sites have space for this. The effect of track length has been examined, with varying results. One study in patients with severe COPD found no differences in average 6MWD between track lengths of 15 and 60 meters (19). However, another study comparing track lengths of 10 and 30 meters in patients with moderate COPD reported a mean increase in 6MWD of 49.5 meters on the longer course (23).

7. Oxygen Saturation Measurements Although the 6MWT may be safe without continuous monitoring of Sp O 2

, continuous monitoring is needed to

obtain an accurate measure of desaturation (24, 25).

References 1. Cooper KH. A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake: correlation between field and treadmill testing. JAMA 1968;203:201–204. 2. McGavin CR, Artvinli M, Naoe H, McHardy GJR. Dyspnoea, disability, and distance walked: com- parison of estimates of exercise performance in respiratory disease. BMJ 1978;2:241–243. 3. Butland RJA, Pang J, Gross ER, Woodcock AA, Geddes DM. Two-, six-, and 12-minute walking tests in respiratory disease. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982;284:1607–1608. 4. Kadikar A, Maurer J, Kesten S. The six-minute walk test: a guide to assessment for lung transplanta- tion. J Heart Lung Transplant 1997;16:313–319. 5. Holden DA, Rice TW, Stelmach K, Meeker DP. Exercise testing, 6-min walk, and stair climb in the evaluation of patients at high risk for pulmonary resection. Chest 1992;102:1774–1779. 6. Sciurba FC, Rogers RM, Keenan RJ, Slivka WA, Gorcsan J III, Ferson PF, Holbert JM, Brown ML, Landreneau RJ. Improvement in pulmonary function and elastic recoil after lung-reduction surgery for diffuse emphysema. N Engl J Med 1996;334:1095–1099. 7. Criner GJ, Cordova FC, Furukawa S, et al . Propsective randomized trial comparing bilateral lung volume reduction surgery to pulmonary rehabilitation in severe COPD. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999;160:2018–2027. 8. Paggiaro PL, Dahle R, Bakran I, et al . Multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial of inhaled fluticasone propionate in patients with COPD. Lancet 1998;351:773–780. 9. Bernstein ML, Despars JA, Singh NP, et al . Re-analysis of the 12-minute walk in patients with COPD. Chest 1994;105:163–167. 10. Hajiro T, Nishimura K, Tsukino M, et al . Analysis of clinical methods used to evaluate dyspnea in patients with COPD. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998;158:1185–1189. 11. ATS Committee on Proficiency Standards for Clinical Pulmonary Function Laboratories. ATS state- ment: guidelines for the six-minute walk test. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002;166:111–117. 12. Borg GAV. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1982;14:377–381. 13. Perloff D, Grim C, Flack J, Frohlich ED, Hill M, McDonald M, Morgenstern BZ. Human blood pres- sure determination by sphygmomanometry. Circulation 1993;88:2460–2470. 14. American Association for Respiratory Care Clinical Practice Guideline. Pulse oximetry. Respir Care 1991;36:1046–1048.

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