Aspects of cardiorespiratory load test in pulmonological practice. (Literature review)

The review article is devoted to the application of the Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in various fields of internal medicine, in particular with an emphasis on pulmonological practice. CPET provides a noninvasive and dynamic integrative assessment of exercise responses involving the respiratory, cardiovascular (CV), and musculoskeletal systems. It is considered the gold standard in the assessment of cardio-respiratory function and is extremely useful in the diagnostic study of unexplained exercise intolerance. The basic algorithm for evaluating the test is presented based on the analysis of a nine-panel graph of the results obtained. In addition to the indications for the CPET, issues and contraindications are highlighted. It is concluded that cardiopulmonary stress testing is a comprehensive examination aimed at clarifying the patient’s symptoms, differentiating the main pathophysiological mechanisms, and assessing cardiopulmonary disorders, disease severity, and prognosis. Standardization of the data provided by the CPET can optimize their availability and improve individual patient management in a wide range of clinical contexts. Knowledge of the main indications, application, and basic interpretation of the results of CPET is necessary to harness its potential and apply its main advantages in clinical practice.