Six-Minute Walk Test in Pediatric Cardiac Patients

Abstract

Background The 6MWT (6MWT) is a self-paced walking test generally used to assess the functional capacity in people with chronic conditions the main outcome is the distance that a person can walk in 6 minutes. The 6 MWT is originally developed to measure the submaximal level of functional capacity in adult patients with moderate to severe heart or lung diseases and has been extensively used in other patient populations. Because the test reflects an exercise level close to that of daily life activities, it is easy to administer, is well tolerated by patients, and is increasingly being used as a functional outcome measure for people with chronic conditions, including pediatric populations. Patients and methods Our study is a cross sectional study to discuss the effect of cardiac diseases on the functional capacity of pediatric patients suffering from cardiac diseases compared with control group via 6MWT. The study included pediatric patients admitted to pediatric cardiology unit at Assiut University children hospital from age of 5 to 18 years at duration of one year from 1/8/2016 to 31/7/2017. The Patients One hundred cases (100) cases (52 males and 48 females) were suffering from cardiac diseases (42 suffering from CHD, 38 suffering from RHD and remaining 20 cases suffering from cardiomyopathy). The Control Hundred healthy children (50 males and 50 females). From primary, preparatory and secondary schools from the same age category of the patients. Results: 34 cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia were included, of whom 8 cases were newly diagnosed on admission while 26 cases were previously diagnosed and came for follow up, 41.2% were males, 58.8% were females.