%0 Journal Article %A Owain Griffiths %A Banerjee Anindo %T Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients with unexplained dyspnoea %D 2014 %J European Respiratory Journal %P P4886 %V 44 %N Suppl 58 %X IntroductionCPET patients exercise using an incremental workload until limiting symptoms or exhaustion. Variables measured during the test may reveal the cause of dyspnoea. This study was performed to determine whether CPET produces results of clinical value and identify variables with the greatest diagnostic yield.MethodsPatients referred for CPET for unexplained dyspnoea were identified. Detailed clinical evaluation, lung function testing and echocardiography had not revealed a cause. Incremental workload CPETs were performed using an integrated cycle ergometer system with a ramp chosen to provide a test of 8-12 minutes duration. Tests were reported by a trained physician and reviewed to determine whether a diagnosis was made and analyse the variables of the exercise response.Results48 patients were analysed, 23 males, mean age 52.4yrs. Test termination was exhaustion (36 patients), leg ache (4) and dyspnoea (3). 46 patients had clinically relevant results. 5 patients had normal studies with no cause of dyspnoea, 14 deconditioning and 7 dysfunctional breathing. 10 patients had multiple causes, specifically thoracic cage restriction, hyperventilation, cardiac disease, obesity, blunted ventilatory response to acidosis, airflow obstruction, drug effects, upper airway disease, metabolic myopathy and pulmonary vascular disease. Variables most frequently used were Anaerobic Threshold (15 tests), Maximum Oxygen Uptake (10), Maximum Minute Ventilation (14), Flow-volume curves (10), Oxygen Pulse (9) and Respiratory Rate (8).Conclusionin patients with dyspnoea but no diagnosis from standard investigations CPET provides important additional information. A limited number of variables provide diagnostic data. %U