OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of hypoxia and subjective dyspnea elicited by a 6-minute walking test (6MWT) in COVID-19 patients prior to discharge. METHODS: A 6MWT was performed in 26 discharge-ready COVID-19 patients without chronic pulmonary disease or cardiac failure. Heart rate, oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate, and subjective dyspnea measured on the Borg CR-10 scale were measured before and immediately after the 6MWT, with continuous monitoring of SpO2 and heart rate during the 6MWT. The 6MWT was terminated if SpO2 dropped below 90%. A historical cohort of 204 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was used for comparison. RESULTS: 13 (50%) of the COVID-19 patients developed exercise-induced hypoxia (SpO2 < 90%) during the 6MWT, of which one third had pulmonary embolism. COVID-19 patients experienced less hypoxia-related dyspnea during the 6MWT compared with patients with IPF. CONCLUSION: The 6MWT is a potential tool in the diagnosis of asymptomatic exercise-induced hypoxia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients prior to discharge. Due to important methodological limitations, further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to investigate their clinical consequences.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of hypoxia and subjective dyspnea elicited by a 6-minute walking test (6MWT) in COVID-19patients prior to discharge. METHODS: A 6MWT was performed in 26 discharge-ready COVID-19patients without chronic pulmonary disease or cardiac failure. Heart rate, oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate, and subjective dyspnea measured on the Borg CR-10 scale were measured before and immediately after the 6MWT, with continuous monitoring of SpO2 and heart rate during the 6MWT. The 6MWT was terminated if SpO2 dropped below 90%. A historical cohort of 204 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was used for comparison. RESULTS: 13 (50%) of the COVID-19patients developed exercise-induced hypoxia (SpO2 < 90%) during the 6MWT, of which one third had pulmonary embolism. COVID-19patients experienced less hypoxia-related dyspnea during the 6MWT compared with patients with IPF. CONCLUSION: The 6MWT is a potential tool in the diagnosis of asymptomatic exercise-induced hypoxia in hospitalized COVID-19patients prior to discharge. Due to important methodological limitations, further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to investigate their clinical consequences.
Authors: Gwenllian Haf Rhys; Tara Wakeling; Shakeeb H Moosavi; Jonathan P Moore; Helen Dawes; Matthew Knight; Matt Inada-Kim; Erika F Christensen; Christian P Subbe Journal: Clin Med (Lond) Date: 2022-04-20 Impact factor: 5.410
Authors: Manuela Funke-Chambour; Pierre-Olivier Bridevaux; Christian F Clarenbach; Paola M Soccal; Laurent P Nicod; Christophe von Garnier Journal: Respiration Date: 2021-06-04 Impact factor: 3.580
Authors: Thomas H Brannagan; Michaela Auer-Grumbach; John L Berk; Chiara Briani; Vera Bril; Teresa Coelho; Thibaud Damy; Angela Dispenzieri; Brian M Drachman; Nowell Fine; Hanna K Gaggin; Morie Gertz; Julian D Gillmore; Esther Gonzalez; Mazen Hanna; David R Hurwitz; Sami L Khella; Mathew S Maurer; Jose Nativi-Nicolau; Kemi Olugemo; Luis F Quintana; Andrew M Rosen; Hartmut H Schmidt; Jacqueline Shehata; Marcia Waddington-Cruz; Carol Whelan; Frederick L Ruberg Journal: Orphanet J Rare Dis Date: 2021-05-06 Impact factor: 4.123