Should the 6-minute walk test be stopped if oxyhemoglobin saturation falls below 80%?

Publication date: Available online 18 August 2018

Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Author(s): Sumbla Afzal, Angela T. Burge, Annemarie L. Lee, Janet Bondarenko, Anne E. Holland

Objective

To examine the occurrence of adverse events in patients undergoing assessment for pulmonary rehabilitation when a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) continues despite desaturation below 80%.

Design

Retrospective audit following REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected health Data (RECORD) Statement.

Setting

Large teaching hospital.

Participants

All patients assessed for pulmonary rehabilitation (September 2005 to January 2016).

Interventions

The standardized tests were conducted by experienced cardiorespiratory physiotherapists. Oxyhemoglobin saturation was monitored continuously using a pulse oximeter (lowest value used for analysis). Medical records were reviewed, and adverse events defined as tachycardia, bradycardia, chest pain or other sign/symptom necessitating cessation.

Main outcome measure

6MWT.

Results

Data from 672 walk tests were included (55% men, mean age 69 (standard deviation 11) years) with mean distance 369 (124) meters. The main diagnoses were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (70%), interstitial lung disease (14%) and bronchiectasis (8%). Sixty individuals (11%) recorded desaturation below 80% without adverse events. Two adverse events were recorded during tests without desaturation; in one instance, chest pain with no evidence of cardiorespiratory compromise and in another, the patient stopped due to concern regarding blood sugar levels (11.5 mmol/L when tested). Independent predictors of desaturation to less than 80% were resting oxyhemoglobin saturation < 95% (odds ratio 3.82, 95% confidence interval 2.06 to 7.08) and a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension (OR 5.24, 2.59 to 10.58).

Conclusions

This study found that desaturation to less than 80% during a 6MWT was not associated with adverse events in a large cohort of patients referred to pulmonary rehabilitation and assessed by experienced physiotherapists, suggesting that test cessation due to desaturation in stable patients may be unwarranted.

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