O2 oximeter sats

[Maricopa]

So today on Facebook a gal said she’d told her pulmonologist her o2 sats upon any exertion would regularly run 76-82. She said he told her you’re nuts, you’d be dead! Interesting, right! Mine run around 76 after any exertion at all & at this moment I appear to be alive. And here in the states I’m slipping through the cracks. I have a new GP APPT this month. Sounded like he wants to do a 6 mwt. Is that where you walk as fast as you can for 6 minutes? That’ll last less than 30 seconds. It should be interesting though. I’m assuming after this visit I’ll be prescribed oxygen. Any thoughts on that The tubing with 2 lg dogs running around?

[CDPO16]

Hi Maricopa, a six minute walk test is where you walk back and forth over a measured distance at a pace you are comfortable with for 6 minutes. You will be wearing an oximeter and your sats measured before and after the test. If you need to stop during the test the sats will be recorded then too.

Can't help with the oxygen tubing question but I'm sure someone will be along to answer that.

[wheezyof]

I was in hospital last year, my oxygen was lower than the "You'd be dead" amount.

Giving me oxygen didn't work as my body stopped gas exchanging so I got a build up of CO2. The hospital were quite happy to send me home with a resting O2 of 82.

I'm alive. xx

[Bkin]

In UK the 6 min walk text is progressive starting slow then increasing in speed at each 30second beep, after which breathlessness measured on Borg scale. O2 sats measured as you walk. If your 02 sats drop too low patient is asked to stop, if the patient does not do so automatically with fatigue and breathlessness. That's my experience and understanding.

I am glad you are being looked after, Good luck when you go.

Not sure I would believe the FB comment, but if it was factual the person may beneft from changing their doc.

Add on;

Further to comments below Maricopa perhaps let us know what happens when you go for your walk test.

It could well be the test I refer to is the shuttle as CDPO16 describes, the one I did sticks out in my mind because I found it the most challenging.

I did the walk test on a treadmill once but that was for cardiology, I didn't last long on that one, that was progressive too (+ wired up with sensors for 02, heart rate, etc) I thought the aim was to reach 6 mins on that test as well, but you know with so many different tests we have over the years with several health issues and with advancing years so many tests can merge into a blur of confusion

Have a great day and Best Wishes Bkin

[CDPO16 in reply to Bkin]

Having done both, in the UK a six minute walk test is as I described above. A shuttle walk test is one where you are required to increase your speed each time a machine prompts you to with a beep.

[Bkin in reply to CDPO16]

In your experience I don't doubt

[O2Trees in reply to CDPO16]

Ive never done a 6min walk test in the progressive way Bkin describes (and this is in UK). But neither do I do it at a comfortable pace - I really go for it at a pace I wouldnt dream of normally walking at - partly because it wouldnt be sustainable for longer than six minutes, nor would it be comfortable. The physios who know me well are happy with the way I do it. Havent done one for over a year now, maybe even two years.

I always wondered what the shuttle test consists of so that's the one where you increase your speed each minute? Seems a useful way to test for oxygen requirement.

[CDPO16 in reply to O2Trees]

I am only going off personal experience. At the six minute walk tests I was advised by the physiotherapist to pace myself and go at a speed that I was comfortable with. Had I 'gone for it' as you did I'd have been in a heap on the floor after a couple of minutes 😂.

The shuttle walk test I did was done in a hospital setting. I couldn't do it for 6 minutes as, although I could have carried on walking longer, I couldn't go any faster when I reached a certain speed so the physiotherapist doing the test stopped me. I have no idea how long I did manage to do it for as I didn't think to ask at the time.

[skischool]

royalpapworth.nhs.uk/applic...

All explained here,get a muzzle for your pooch Lol

🙃😻 x

[Maricopa in reply to skischool]

Lol. Ya two 70lb dogs that always want to be competing for the best spot on my lap could get us all tied up.