Extract
A 79-year-old female presented to a hospital-based laboratory for pulmonary function testing and a 6-min walk test (6MWT). The patient's chief complaint was dyspnoea on exertion. The patient was a life-long nonsmoker with a history of interstitial lung disease and morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) 44.9 kg·m−2). The patient's baseline spirometry data were within normal limits but the diffusing capacity was moderately reduced (50% of predicted; z-score −4.05) [1, 2].
Abstract
Weight-based reference equations for the 6-min walk test can produce normal results despite poor performance. Using ideal body weight- or non-weight-based reference equations for the 6-min walk test may produce more clinically meaningful results. https://bit.ly/2wE9Sdn
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: J.M. Haynes reports paid consultancy for Morgan Scientific Inc. and a speaking honorarium from Focus Publications, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: G.L Ruppel reports speaking honoraria from MGC Diagnostics and Focus Publications, and consulting for National Board Respiratory Care, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: D.A. Kaminsky reports an honorarium from MGC Diagnostics, Inc., for participation as faculty in a cardiopulmonary diagnostics seminar, outside the submitted work.
- Received January 24, 2020.
- Accepted March 24, 2020.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020
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