title: Cardio-respiratory responses to exercise following treatment of acute severe asthma.
abstract: Asthmatic patients are encouraged to adopt a normal and active life-style. However, following treatment of acute severe asthma, patients may ask for advice about taking exercise. Serial measurements of the cardio-respiratory responses to continuous work load exercise, were made in asthmatic patients convalescing following hospital treatment of an acute exacerbation. Eighteen asymptomatic patients, (seven male) aged 18-48 years, were studied. The first test was performed within 1 week of admission, when the mean (SD) peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was 88 (20)% predicted normal and the arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) was 13.1 (1.4) kPa. No significant differences in the mean cardio-respiratory responses, from the last minute of exercise, were found during the 4-week study. There were no significant differences in the four tests, between the resting PEFR, lowest post-exercise PEFR or % change in PEFR. Also, there were no significant differences in the pre-exercise, end of exercise and recovery (10 min after exercise) PaO2, between the four tests. However, taking the four tests as a whole, significant relationships were found between the recovery PaO2 and the lowest post-exercise PEFR, expressed in absolute terms (r = 0.515, P less than 0.001), and as a percentage of predicted normal (r = 0.533, P less than 0.001); and also between the recovery PaO2 and the % change in PEFR after exercise (r = 0.299, P less than 0.05). It is suggested that a formal exercise test should be performed in convalescent asthmatics wishing to participate in active sports. Patients with exercise-induced asthma may then be identified and treated appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Physiology, East Birmingham Hospital, Bordesley Green East, U.K.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cayton
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Packe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D003289:Convalescence; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen