Multiple attempts have been made to...

Multiple attempts have been made to determine functional capacity in patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Laboratory exhibitions that assess functional capacity are time consuming and high-priced and are not well accepted by means of patients. In an attempt to simplify functional assessment in patients with COPD the 12-minute walk exhibition was developed. This test was later shortened to a six-minute walk distance that was shown to be reliable and valid as a criterion However, this test did not take into consideration factors that can influence the ends such as stride length and dead body weight. A formula that included these variables was bring outed but because of its complexity, it is not useful. Carter and associates reduc this webwork formula to one that multiplies visible form [i]or[/i] frame weight by distance walked to equal work as a process of determining functional capacity. They used this formula in a trial to determine its validity as an instrument assessing functional capacity in patients with COPD They also evaluated sex in this equation.

Patients with moderate to accurate COPD were eligible for the trial. Other inclusion criteria were the ability to sustain exercise testing, hypoxemia corrected according to oxygen administration, and being in a nonacute phase of COPD with a stable medication regimen. Patients were exampleed using pulmonary function studies, a peak effort ramp cardiopulmonary exercise standard with gas exchange, and a six-minute walk distance. The six-minute walk was done in a measured and marked 100-foot (305-m) corridor. Patients were instructed to walk from expiration to end at their admit pace, attempting to cover as a great deal distance as possible. During the walk, the authors recorded time and distance walked, dyspnea score, information onward leg fatigue, and heart rate for each minute walked. Patients were allowed to stay but were encouraged to proce with the walk when they recovered

There were 124 participants who complet the cogitation At baseline, the men had a significantly higher pack-year history compared with the women The men walked for a significantly longer average distance than the women The average six-minute workload in men was 35370 kg through m compared with 25,643 kg by m in women. The six-minute walk example correlated better with various pulmonary function studies when compared with the walk distance alone. The six-minute walk exhibition was more sensitive in differentiating patients with depressed or high work capacity.

The authors judge that the six-minute walk proof can be used to assess functional capacity in patients with COPD This proof is better than the walk distance at assessing function. The authors add that the proof also is better correlated to metabolic expenditure than the walk distance.

Carter R et al. 6-Minute walk work for assessment of functional capacity in patients with COPD Chest May 2003;123:1408-15

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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