Method ological factors affecting 6MWD include track length , encouragement , supplemental oxygen and walking aids .
Supplemental oxygen also affects ISWT and ESWT performance .
Responsiveness was moderate to high for all tests , with greater responsiveness to interventions that included exercise training .
The findings of this review demonstrate that the 6MWT , ISWT and ESWT are robust tests of functional exercise capacity in adults with chronic respiratory disease
This systematic review examined the measurement properties of the 6-min walk test ( 6MWT ) , incremental shuttle walk test ( ISWT ) and endurance shuttle walk test ( ESWT ) in adults with chronic respiratory disease .
Ambulatory oxygen improves the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation in selected patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
The effect of ambulatory oxygen use during pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ) has not yet been clearly established , but many studies have shown benefit from oxygen acutely . Two small studies to date demonstrated no clear benefit when oxygen was used in patients who desaturated on exertion during a PR programme . One study showed the benefit of using oxygen during PR in patients who were normoxic at rest and desaturated to a minimum of 88 % on exertion . We conducted a single-blind , r and omised controlled trial comparing PR undertaken either with or without ambulatory oxygen , in those with demonstrable benefit from oxygen at baseline . Subjects from three PR services were recruited who , during baseline assessment , desaturated by more than 4 % and to less than 90 % on exertion , and walked 10 % or more further with ambulatory oxygen on endurance shuttle walk test . Patients were r and omised to either room air or oxygen via portable cylinder , titrated to optimise pulse oxygen saturation but up to a maximum flow rate of 6 L/min . All patients then completed a twice weekly , 6- to 7-week PR programme . Data were analysed as per protocol . Totally 51 patients completed the study . At the end of PR , both groups improved with PR , with patients in the oxygen group demonstrating a highly statistically significantly greater mean improvement in endurance walking distance than the controls , 490 m ( 95 % confidence interval 228–750 ; p ≤ 0.001 ) , as well as clinical ly , although not statistically , significant changes in quality of life .  The use of ambulatory oxygen during a 6- to 7-week PR programme greatly improved endurance walking distance in patients who desaturated on exertion with a positive acute response to ambulatory oxygen at baseline
Method ological factors affecting 6MWD include track length , encouragement , supplemental oxygen and walking aids .
Supplemental oxygen also affects ISWT and ESWT performance .
Responsiveness was moderate to high for all tests , with greater responsiveness to interventions that included exercise training .
The findings of this review demonstrate that the 6MWT , ISWT and ESWT are robust tests of functional exercise capacity in adults with chronic respiratory disease
This systematic review examined the measurement properties of the 6-min walk test ( 6MWT ) , incremental shuttle walk test ( ISWT ) and endurance shuttle walk test ( ESWT ) in adults with chronic respiratory disease .