Evaluation of loaded ramp testing times during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

Evaluation of loaded ramp testing times during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). <bold>Background:</bold> It is recommended that a CPET should have a loaded exercise phase of between 8 minutes (480s) and 12 minutes (720s) (Pritchard et al, BMJ Open Respiratory Research 2021;8:e001121. doi: 10.1136/bmjresp-2021-001121). <bold>Aim:</bold> To evaluate the loaded exercise testing times in patients that attend for CPET and to see if the protocol for selecting work rate needs to be altered to ensure a loaded exercise time of between 8 and 12 minutes occurs. <bold>Methods:</bold> Patients that attended for CPET over 1 year were identified and their demographics, loaded testing times and whether the wattage selected was higher or lower than predicted to achieve 10 minutes of loaded exercise. <bold>Results:</bold> 140 patients attended over a 1 year period. 10 patients were excluded. <table-wrap><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA2329/TB1</object-id><object-id>T1</object-id><object-id>TB1</object-id><table><colgroup><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col><col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td></td><td><bold>Number of patients (N=?)</bold></td><td><bold>Loaded exercise time between 8 and 12 minutes</bold></td><td><bold>Loaded exercise time <8 minutes</bold></td><td><bold>Loaded exercise time >12minutes</bold></td><td><bold>Loaded exercise time <6 minutes</bold></td></tr><tr><td><bold>All patients</bold></td><td>130</td><td>53 (41%)</td><td>75 (58%)</td><td>2 (1%)</td><td>30 (23%)</td></tr><tr><td><bold>Respiratory patients</bold></td><td>93</td><td>40 (43%)</td><td>51 (55%)</td><td>2 (2%)</td><td>9 (24%)</td></tr><tr><td><bold>Cardiac patients</bold></td><td>37</td><td>12 (32%)</td><td>25 (68%)</td><td>0</td><td>9 (24%)</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap> In 78% of all patients a higher wattage was chosen than predicted. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> 59% of patients did not achieve a recommended loaded exercise phase between 8 and 12 minutes. The majority of patients (78%) had a wattage selected which was higher than appropriate. Additional training on selecting the correct wattage has now been undertaken.