Detecting oxygen desaturation in patients with COPD: Incremental versus endurance shuttle walking

C.J. Sandland, M.D.L. Morgan, S.J. Singh

This study compared the relative desaturation between the incremental shuttle walking test and the constant speed walking test and response to ambulatory oxygen to detect the relative oxygen desaturation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Outcome measures were recorded following a 7-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme.  The results showed that incremental and endurance walking provokes significant desaturation and that there is a short-term benefit of oxygen versus air in enhancing exercise performance and there was no significant difference in the level of desaturation between tests.

The incremental shuttle walking test is a suitable exercise test that can be used to evaluate desaturation and is practically more realistic.

Respiratory Medicine, 2008, 102(8), 1148-1152

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