Association between peripheral oxygen saturation during the shuttle walk test and quality of life in patients with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease

Fernanda Dultra Dias MSc¹, Eloisa Sanches Pereira do Nascimento MSc², Karina Maria Cancelliero-Gaiad PhD³, Evelim Leal de Freitas Dantas Gomes PhD¹, Roberto Stirbulov⁴ and Dirceu Costa PhD⁵*

¹Doctoralstudent, PostgraduateProgram in RehabilitationSciences, University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo,SP, Brazil.

²Master’s student, PostgraduateProgram in RehabilitationSciences, University Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo,SP, Brazil.

³Post-Doctoral student, Postgraduate Program in Physical Therapy, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), SãoCarlos, SP, Brazil.

⁴PhysicianPulmonologist on Pulmonology Service of the SantaCasa School of Medical Sciences - São Paulo, Brazil.

⁵Teaching staff member, Postgraduate Program in Physical Therapy, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: dcosta@uninove.br; Telephone: (11) 3665-9325 / 3665-9817

Accepted 04 August, 2014

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine whether peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) monitored in patients with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) during a physical capacity test is correlated with quality of life components. The sample comprised 30 patients with COPD (16 men and 14 women). All participants were submitted to a spirometric evaluation. Quality of life was evaluated using the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study (SF-36). Functional capacity was evaluated using the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT). SpO₂ was positively correlated to the physical functioning (r = 0.37; p < 0.03), role physical (r = 0.37. p < 0.04), general health state (r = 0.39; p < 0.02) and vitality (r = 0.37; p < 0.04) subscales of the SF-36. SpO₂ was also correlated with the distance walked on the ISWT (r = 0.37; p < 0.04), which, in turn, was positively correlated with the general health state subscale of the SF-36 (r = 0.34; p < 0.05). Desaturation during the evaluation of functional capacity using the ISWT was correlated with worse symptoms reported by patients with COPD, thereby demonstrating an association between SpO₂ and quality of life in these patients.

Keywords: Shuttle walk test, COPD mechanisms, hypoxemia, quality of life.