6 Min walk Test for Portable Oxygen Concentrator at Kaiser?

[reldong2]

Any tips to pass a 6 min walk test? I failed at Kaiser's Respertory Tharapist Test he said I was too bad??

This was Kaiser's test for me to receive a portable oxygen concentrator. They refused me , After my Pulmanary Doctor said, I should have a Portable Oxygen Concentrator. But He had to refer me to a Restpitory Thrapist. He said I failed the test . He said I was to Bad and a Mouth Breather?

I have a home Oxygen concentrator now but I want to get a portable? Thanks

Last edited by reldong2

[newlands]

So does mouth breathing make a difference regards having a portable concentrator.

[stone-UK]

Hi

Being a mouth breather is not suitable for a pulse delivery system such as you find on a portable oxygen concentrator POC.

Practice pursed lip breathing, which is not only good for your lungs but may help get you to use to nose breathing.

Breath in through your nose, out through your mouth with pursed lips, like if you whistle.

[newlands in reply to stone-UK]

Thanks Stone , I had delivered a new poc last week only used it once and didn’t get on with it so using my cylinders again .Wouldnt you have thought the nurse who ordered it knew that

[reldong2 in reply to stone-UK]

There are 3 types pulse only or steady flo or both.

[stone-UK in reply to reldong2]

Hi

The continuous flow only go to 3lpm. And are more of a transportable model such as the SeQual eQuinox comes with wheels, weighs about 6.5kg, 3lpm continuous 6lpm on pulse. rather than light weight portable such as the Inogen One G3 goes to 5lpm pulse only which typically weigh about 2.2kg

[O2Trees]

Now I understand your situation (your last post wasnt so clear). I was a habitual mouth breather though I must have taken some in through my nose as the pulse delivery still worked fine. I thought my mouth breathing was a done deal but Ive managed to retrain myself to nose breathe. It's made a big difference so Id encourage you to try to get used to it

[skischool in reply to O2Trees]

i am rubbish at nasal breathing and struggle with my portable pulse giving friend.advice please on improving nasal breathing.

Sniffless Ski's and a cat that doesn't breathe.xxx

[reldong2 in reply to skischool]

My Problem is not Mouth Breathing ,my nose Breathing is good, It's the fact that Kaiser

used that and the failed 6 min. Walk test as an Excuse, not to give me a Portable?

I just wanted to know thier rules on the 6 min walk test. in order to pass it?

My Doctor told me the "Concentrator GOD" (the resp. tharypist) would have to pass me, before I got one,

[stone-UK in reply to reldong2]

Hi

There is no hard and fast rules concerning the 6mwt.

For Ambulitory oxygen therapy the deciding factor is the level of desaturation.

On my test my oxygen saturation dropped to 83% with oxygen at 2lpm I maintained a satisfactory 90/92.

Are they refusing a POC in favour of a alternative, for example using a cylinder. Or is it based on your desaturation.

I don’t see how you can be refused oxygen therapy if it is needed for you to improve your wellbeing.

[O2Trees in reply to skischool]

Not sure what to say Skis that you wouldn't know already. Slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth using pursed lip breathing which should take up to double the time of the in-breath. If you're finding it hard then I'd put time aside each day to practise it. Maybe several short times and it may just become a habit.

My turn around from mouth to nose happened when I had that double pneumonia and respiratory failure in March. It kept being repeated like a mantra in the ward so I could no longer ignore it. Then one night when I was past the very worst, a new patient had arrived on the next bed and in the night I saw from her silhouette in the low light that she was sitting up and heaving to get the breath in - big hyperventilation which im personally familiar with. Distressing to watch, let alone for her. So I spent a while just talking to her, saying I knew she couldnt answer but to try to breath through her nose and concentrate on breathing out rather than in, since with breathing in through her mouth she was trapping more and more air and making less and less room for new air to go in. I could see her heaving a bit less but didnt really know if this had helped. In the morning she said it had.

This experience made me think about how I was telling someone else how to breathe when I was doing it wrong myself. And that, along with the constant reminders from nurses about nose breathing somehow helped me to turn it around. I credit nose breathing with managing to avoid respiratory failure on my second admission for a lesser pneumonia in June, and for the improved health I described to you on my post.

Of course nose breathing depends on not having a stuffed up nose. I had really believed I was a mouth breather for life so if I can change it, I think you probably could too Skis. xxx

[O2Trees]

I and I think others who responded before dont understand what you mean by passing or failing the test. I would advise listening to Stone-uk as he probably knows more about oxygen than most of us.

It seems you have a disagreement with your respiratory therapist since they are saying you are a mouth breather but in your reply to Skis above you say your nose breathing is good. So it's difficult to know what exactly is going on especially as we are patients and not medics.

I do hope you can sort something out that is satisfactory for you.