The six-minute walk test - a reliable test for detection of exercise-related desaturation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Exercise-induced desaturation is common in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It provides additional information about physical capacity and disease evolution, and it is an important predictor of mortality.

Desaturation during Physical Exercise in COPD Patients - a Stable-over-time Phenomenon.

Introduction: Exercise-induced desaturation is a common finding in patients with moderate and severe COPD. It is an important marker in the course of disease that has a prognostic value for mortality risk.

Aim: To monitor over time COPD patients with and without desaturation during 6-minute walking test (6MWT) and to assess the stability of that phenomenon.