title: Functional aerobic impairment in adolescents seropositive for HIV: a quasiexperimental analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the degree to which cardiorespiratory insufficiency limits physical performance in adolescents seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasiexperimental, case series design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rehabilitation physiology laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen adolescents (12 women, 5 men; age, 18 +/- 2 yr; weight, 74.7 +/- 19.3 kg; height, 170 +/- 9 cm) with HIV infection (viral load, 22,043 +/- 55,869 copies/mL; CD4 count, 499 +/- 210/mL) who were free of comorbid conditions limiting treadmill performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spirometric measurements of oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold obtained from a peak exercise treadmill test using the modified Bruce protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measured peak oxygen consumption (VO2) was 42% +/- 19% lower than expected (p < .025), suggesting a significant functional aerobic impairment (FAI) or peak VO2 less than 73% of expected values. Peak VO2 was only slightly higher (p < .05) than the oxygen uptake requirements for the most intense activities of daily living (ADL). Anaerobic threshold was only slightly higher (p < .05) than minimum ADL intensities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiorespiratory insufficiency and FAI limited the ability to perform even low levels of physical activity in these adolescents with mild HIV seropositivity. Disability identified by quantification of FAI may affect implementation of the American with Disabilities Act and public health policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201-1082, USA. rkeyser@physio.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Cade
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anixt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013147:Spirometry