HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by García-Talavera, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by García-Talavera, I.

Randomised trial of ambulatory oxygen in oxygen-dependent COPD

CORRESPONDENCE: I. García-Talavera, Investigation Unit, Candelaria University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

To the Editors:

I read with interest the article by Lacasse et al. 1, which found no benefit in using ambulatory oxygen (AO) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I think that there were not enough patients in the study not to recommend its use. The authors have not shown the variations of oxygen saturation during the 6-minute walking test (6MWT). Oxygen therapy may improve exercise capacity in patients with desaturation during the walking test 2.

Liquid oxygen is better than gas from cylinders for AO therapy. The Enright and Sherill 3 reference values of a 6MWT are very different from those of Troosters et al. 4 or Gibbons et al. 5. The latter references may be preferable because the equation by Enright and Sherill 3 gives smaller values. In my opinion, the average partial pressure of oxygen at rest of the patients, 7.0 kPa (53 mmHg), was not very low. In patients with severe hypoxaemia, the results could possibly differ.

I believe that ambulatory oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should depend on each patient. A certain subgroup of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease might benefit from ambulatory oxygen. The 6-minute walking test is a prognostic tool that gives a valuable insight into the normal activities of daily living.

REFERENCES

1. Lacasse Y, Lecours R, Pelletier C, Bégin R, Maltais F. Randomised trial of ambulatory oxygen in oxygen-dependent COPD. Eur Respir J 2005;25:1031–1038.
2. Leach RM, Davidson AC, Chinn S, Twort CH, Cameron IR, Bateman NT. Portable liquid oxygen and exercise ability in severe respiratory disability. Thorax 1992;47:781–789.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
3. Enrich PL, Sherill DL. Reference equations for the six minutes walk in healthy adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1998;158:1384–1387.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
4. Troosters T, Gosselink R, Decramer M. Six minute walking distance in healthy elderly subjects. Eur Respir J 1999;14:270–274.[Abstract]
5. Gibbons WJ, Fruchter N, Sloan S, Levy RD. Reference values for a multiple repetition 6 minute walk test in healthy adults older than 20 year. J Cardiopulm Rehabil 2001;21:87–93.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by García-Talavera, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by García-Talavera, I.