Perspectives In Medical Research (Aug 2018)
Role of six minute walk test in the evaluation of patients with chronic respiratory diseases
Abstract
Background: Six minute walk test ( 6 MWT) is an inexpensive, reliable and repeatable test for the functional assessment of subjects with chronic respiratory diseases. Aims and Objectives: 1. To estimate the distance travelled on 6 MWT (6 MWD) by patients with chronic respiratory diseases. 2. To find any correlation between symptoms and 6 MWD in subjects with chronic respiratory diseases.3. To find any correlation between spirometry based functional grading and 6 MWD in chronic respiratory disease subjects. Materials & Methods: A total of forty two subjects were taken into the study who were having chronic respiratory diseases like COPD, Bronchiectasis, Tubercular fibrosis, Bronchial asthma, Diffuse parenchymal lung diseases etc.All the subjects underwent physical, radiological, spirometry and 6 MWT . Subjects were classified according to the grading on breathlessness, spirometry and performance on 6 MWT. Results: Significant correlation was obtained when spirometry based functional grading was compared with impairment on 6 MWT. Significant correlation was also observed when grading of breathlessness was compared with performance on 6 MWT. Conclusion: Study results correlated with other studies. This is a first study which evaluated 6 MWT in different diseases chronically affecting the respiratory system.
