title: A 6MWT index to predict O2 flow correcting exercise induced SpO2 desaturation in ILD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ambulatory oxygen (O2) is prescribed to interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients with mild hypoxemia, breathlessness and dyspnea on exertion. Oxygen titration is generally done with the 6 minute walk test (6MWT) to determine the O2 flow preventing oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) from falling below 88%. His study was designed to generate a 6MWT index predicting the O2 flow allowing completion of the 6MWT without oxygen desaturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oxygen titration data from a group of 66 ILD patients and 30 controls, were used to generate the algorithm determining an index (O2-GAP) predicting oxygen flow required to complete a 6MWT without desaturation below 88%. This index was validated in a group of 93 ILD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The O2-GAP index, as obtained from the derivation population, (r(2) = 0.97, p < 0.001) was shown to correctly predict the oxygen flow required to complete the 6MWT without SpO2 falling below 88% validated in the validation population (r(2) = 0.842; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The O2-GAP index appears to be a useful tool to titrate ambulatory O2 with a single 6MWT on room air in ILD patients with breathlessness and dyspnea on exertion.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, "Tor Vergata" University Hospital, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: malattie.respiratorie@ptvonline.it.
authors.forename: Josuel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ora
authors.forename: Luigino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calzetta
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pezzuto
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Senis
authors.forename: Gregorino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paone
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Portalone
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rogliani
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puxeddu
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saltini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: 6-min walk test; Exercise testing; Interstitial lung disease; Oxygen therapy