The Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP) last produced a statement on the performance of lung function testing in 1994. At that time the focus was on a practical statement for people working in lung function laboratories. Since that time there have been many technological advances and alterations to best practice in the measurement and interpretation of lung function assessments. In light of these advances an update was warranted. ARTP, therefore, have provided within this document, where available, the most up-to-date and evidence-based recommendations for the most common lung function assessments performed in laboratories across the UK. These recommendations set out the requirements and considerations that need to be made in terms of environmental and patient factors that may influence both the performance and interpretation of lung function tests. They also incorporate procedures to ensure quality assured diagnostic investigations that include those associated with equipment, the healthcare professional conducting the assessments and the results achieved by the subject. Each section aims to outline the common parameters provided for each investigation, a brief principle behind the measurements (where applicable), and suggested acceptability and reproducibility criteria.
The shuttle walk test (SWT) is a validated, incremental walking test for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but not for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) is considered to be the gold standard measurement of functional capacity. This study examines the relationship between IPF patients' performance on the SWT and VO2 max. Twenty patients were recruited for the study, which consisted of two separate experiments. Firstly, the relationship between SWT performance on a conventional corridor SWT, with that on a programmable treadmill SWT designed to reproduce the corridor SWT was examined (n=10). In the second experiment, the relationship between performance on the treadmill equivalent SWT and VO2 max measurements was studied (n=10). There was a significant correlation between distance walked on the corridor SWT, and that walked on the treadmill equivalent SWT without VO2 max measurements (367 m vs. 410 m) (r=0.91, P=0.0003). There was a significant correlation between distance walked on the treadmill equivalent SWT (277 m), and the directly determined VO2 max (14.87 ml/kg/min) (r=0.74, P=0.01). During both experiments, a significant correlation was also observed between baseline PaO2 and SWT performance, and between DLCO and SWT performance. The shuttle walk test is a simple objective measure of functional capacity in IPF patients, which should facilitate the evaluation of new therapeutic compounds for IPF.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.