Exercise capacity in people under 20 years old with cystic fibrosis and comparison with healthy people

Abstract

Cystic Fibrosis is an Autosomal Recessive disorder that causes multiorgan involvement and serious complications in patients life time. Exercise tolerance in these patients is reduced because of respiratory system damage,malnutrition,muskuloskeletal and digestive system complications. The purpose of the recent study is evaluating of exercise capacity in 7 to 20 years old children with CF by means of 6 minute walk test and comparision of it's results with normal same age children. Methods: The present study was a descriptive analytic study conducted during one year in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic of Farmanfarmayan Pediatric hospital. overall, 50 patients with documentd CF in the age range of 7 to 20 years old,who had inclusion criterias ,selected randomly and they were invited to PMR ward. Before the study spirometry test was performed by Pulmonologist and it's results were entered in the work sheet. In the control and normal group 20 haelthy 7 to 20 years old children selected randomly. All of the cases participated in the 6 minute walk test. Before starting the test age,gender,weight,BMI,SPO2,vital signs,of both group were recorded. Like this, immediately at the end of 6mwt ,covered distance in 6 minute,vital signs,and SPO2 of both groups were submitted. Then Kolmogorov-Smirnov test,Kruskal Wallis and Independent T-test were used to evaluate and analyse of obtained data. Results: Six-mwt distance in patients group had a significant difference with normal group.Patients walked siginificantly less distance in the 6 minute.(p<0.001). Dyspnea and SPO2 reduction at the end of the test, were significantly higher in the patiens participitations.on the other hand lower predicted FEV1 was accompanied with lower SPO2, covered distances and more dyspnea. In this study, patients who had regular conventional chest PT walked more distances, had less dyspnea and better SPO2 at the end of the test compared to other patients and It seems that exercise capacity is higher in patients with regular chest PT.