• Vanessa S Probst, Thierry Troosters, Iris Coosemans, Martijn A Spruit, Fabio de Oliveira Pitta, Marc Decramer, and Rik Gosselink.
• Respiratory Rehabilitation and Respiratory Division, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Rik.Gosselink@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
• Chest. 2004 Oct 1;126(4):1102-7.

Study ObjectiveWe analyzed the effects of the use of a rollator on walking distance and physiologic variables: pulmonary gas exchange, heart rate, minute ventilation (Ve), oxygen saturation, and symptoms during the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in patients with COPD.SettingOutpatient clinic at university hospital.PatientsFourteen patients with COPD in stable clinical condition. One patient had mild COPD, five patients had moderate COPD, six patients had severe COPD, and two patients had very severe COPD.InterventionsTwo 6MWTs were performed with a portable metabolic system (VmaxST 1.0; Viasys Healthcare; MEDA; Aartselaar, Belgium) with a rollator and without a rollator, in random order. In addition, maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) was measured with and without a rollator, randomly.ResultsThe median 6MWT distance increased significantly with a rollator: 416 m without a rollator (interquartile range [IQR], 396 to 435 m), vs 462 m with a rollator (IQR, 424 to 477 m) [p = 0.04]. Significant increases were also seen in oxygen uptake (0.04 L/min [IQR, - 0.002 to 0.09 L/min]); tidal volume (0.06 L/min [IQR, - 0.001 to 0.11 L/min]); and Ve (0.95 L/min [IQR, - 0.67 to 7.1 L/min]), recorded in the last minute of the 6MWT; as well as in MVV (3 L/min [IQR, 0 to 12 L/min]) [p < 0.05 for all]. Borg dyspnea scores tended to be lower with a rollator: 6 (IQR, 4 to 7) without a rollator, vs 5 (IQR, 4 to 7) with a rollator (p = 0.10). The variation in the 6MWT was explained by individual changes in walking efficiency (partial R(2) = 0.31) and changes in Ve (partial R(2) = 0.36) [p model < 0.04].ConclusionThe use of a rollator improves walking distance of patients with COPD through an increased ventilatory capacity and/or better walking efficiency.

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