Effects of portable liquid oxygen therapy on walking

The effect on walking of portable liquid oxygen therapy (PLOT), which involves carrying a tank, remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the repercussion of PLOT on performance in the 6 minute walking test. We enrolled 30 patients receiving home oxygen therapy in a randomized crossover study, collecting data on arterial blood gases at baseline, spirometry, and performance on the 6 minute walking test at baseline and at later sessions with PLOT and with compressed air simulating oxygen. During the tests we measured peak heart rate, distance walked and time that oxygen saturation remained over 89%. For compressed air, no improvement over baseline values was observed for any of the parameters measured. During the PLOT tests, however, patients walked farther than at baseline and arterial oxygen saturation rose to the prescribed flow rate. Dyspnea was not significantly affected.