Safety of exertional desaturation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: An electrocardiography study.

Introduction: Exertional desaturation is a cardinal manifestation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) which raises concerns for serious complications.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of clinically significant desaturation (CSD) during exercise and to assess whether abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) changes are associated with mortality and hospitalizations in patients with IPF.

Methods: Thirty-four IPF patients (68 ± 8 years, 35% women) underwent maximal cycle cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) using 12-lead ECG and pulse oximetry (SpO ) and were followed up to 40 months.