[The impact of 2-year rehabilitation on exercise tolerance and transcutaneous oxygen saturation during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Abstract

We compared results of symptom-limited exercise test (ET) and percutaneous oxygen saturation (SaO2) during ET in rehabilitated COPD patients (R) and in control COPD patients (C) before and after 2 years of study. Group of R consisted of 27 patients (FVC 2.15 l, FEV1 1.17 l, mean age 58, range 32-76 years) who underwent comprehensive, in-hospital and domestic R, group C consisted of 19 patients (FVC 1.95 l, FEV1 1.42 l, mean age 68, range 55-83 years). The studied groups did not differ in their FVC and FEV1, but R patients were younger (p = 0.05), had more sustained ET (p = 0.0002) and greater number of METs achieved during ET (p = 0.0008). After study we found increased number of METs during ET from 3.94 to 4.77, p = 0.003, improved 10 grade Borg score in 3' ET from 4.0 to 2.5, p = 0.05 and tendency to decrease maximal drop of SaO2 during ET from 6.8 to 3.1% (NS). Patients in C group failed to improve results of ET: from 2.7 to 2.5 METs (NS), and pulse oximetry: maximal drop in SaO2 during ET from 3.1 to 3.07%, NS) and also 10-grade Borg score in 3'ET (from 2.0 to 2.8, NS). In conclusion, although differences in age and in initial exercise tolerance between studied groups could influence the results of this study, it seems that long term rehabilitation can improve both exercise tolerance and oxygen saturation during exercise in COPD patients.