| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
|
| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 2 | Page : 60-64 |
|
|
The six-minute walk test in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis
Esam H Alhamad
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence Address:
Esam H Alhamad
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, P.O. Box 18321, Riyadh 11415
Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1817-1737.49414
|
|
|
Background: The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a useful tool to assess prognosis and functional impairment in various pulmonary diseases.
Aims: To evaluate functional capacity during various stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis and develop a scoring system clinical radiological physiological score (CRP) that can potentially be used to assess the functional status among patients with sarcoidosis.
Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 26 patients diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis from 2001 to 2007. All patients completed the 6MWT. The parameters assessed during the test included spirometry, arterial blood gas, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), Borg dyspnea score, and initial and end oxygen saturation.
Results: Females covered a significantly shorter distance than males (343 m (223-389) vs. 416.5 m (352-500); P < 0.0001). In addition, females had a significantly lower SpO 2 at the end of the 6MWT than males (90.5 (61-99) vs. 96 (75-98); P < 0.03). The 6MWD was inversely correlated with the final Borg score (r = −0.603, P = 0.004) and the CRP score (r = -0.364, P = 0.047) and positively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) % (r = 0.524, P = 0.006) and forced vital capacity (FVC) % (r = 0.407, P = 0.039).
Conclusions: Female gender, FEV 1 %, final Borg score, FVC%, CRP score, and SpO 2 at the end of the 6MWT are associated with reduced 6MWD. It appears that Saudi patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis have a markedly reduced walking distance compared with other races. The effect of race and ethnicity and the utility of the CRP score as a potential marker to assess functional status require further exploration. |
|
|
|
| [FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
 |
|
