ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Guidelines established by the American Thoracic Society recommend the use of corridors 30 m in length for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). However, not all institutions have such long corridors, which hinders or prevents 6MWT performance and use of its benefits. OBJECTIVE: To compare the distances walked by male patients with cirrhosis on the liver transplantation waiting list, we performed 6MWT on corridors 20 and 30 m long. METHODS: This prospective study included 10 patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation. They underwent 2 walk tests: the first test in a 20 m corridor and the second in a 30 m corridor. We assessed physiologic variables (heart rate, oxygen saturation, arterial blood pressure) and the subjective sensation of dyspnea at rest at 6 and 9 minutes after each walk. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Data are expressed as mean ± sd. Patient age was 59 ± 10 years. The distances walked by the patients were shorter than those predicted for their age and gender (586 ± 45 m) in both tests, no significant difference was observed between the first and the second 6MWT (437 ± 101 m vs 465 ± 80 m; P=.131) or among the physiologic variables. CONCLUSION: We concluded that a 20 m corridor can be used safely and effectively as an alternative to 30 m for the 6MWT for male patients with cirrhosis on the liver transplantation waiting list.
