PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Regina Leung
AU  - Zoe McKeough
AU  - Sue Jenkins
AU  - Anne Holland
AU  - Kylie Hill
AU  - Norman Morris
AU  - Lissa Spencer
AU  - Catherine Hill
AU  - Annemarie Lee
AU  - Helen Seale
AU  - Nola Cecins
AU  - Christine McDonald
AU  - Jennifer Alison
TI  - Measurement of oxygen saturation and provision of supplemental oxygen during exercise assessment in people with COPD during pulmonary rehabilitation programs: A survey
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA4451
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA4451
VI  - 48
IP  - suppl 60
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4451.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA4451.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48
AB  - Measuring oxygen saturation (SpO2) during tests of exercise capacity in people with COPD attending pulmonary rehabilitation programs (PRPs) is recommended. However little is known about the implementation in clinical practice. Aim: To investigate the measurement of SpO2 during exercise testing in PRPs in Australia and whether supplemental oxygen is provided for people who desaturate. Methods: Coordinators of all PRP (n=276) listed by the Lung Foundation Australia were invited to complete an ethics approved, purpose-designed, anonymous online survey. Consent was implicit if surveys were returned. Results: The response rate was 37% (103/276), with 7 surveys partially completed. Majority of respondents (80/103, 78%) had > 3 years experience. Most PRPs were hospital (59/103, 57%) or community based (48/103, 47%) and 54% (56/103) had 50 or more patients referred per year. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) was commonly used for exercise testing (102/103, 99%). Most PRPs measured SpO2 each minute during the 6MWT (86/99, 87%). 68% of respondents (67/99) indicated that a rest would be imposed during the 6MWT if SpO2 ≤ 85% (45/67, 67%). Supplemental oxygen was available if required, during exercise testing in most PRPs (79/97, 81%) but only 34% (33/97) had a protocol for administering supplemental oxygen during testing. Conclusion: SpO2 was measuredduring exercise testing in most PRPs. A standardised protocol for the use of supplemental oxygen during exercise testing in PRP was lacking.