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Volume 89, Issue 6, Pages 1083-1089 (June 2008)


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Validating the Six-Minute Walk Test as a Measure of Recovery After Elective Colon Resection Surgery

Carolina Moriello, MScab, Nancy E. Mayo, PhDabCorresponding Author Informationemail address, Liane Feldman, MDc, Franco Carli, MDd

Abstract 

Moriello C, Mayo NE, Feldman L, Carli F. Validating the six-minute walk test as a measure of recovery after elective colon resection surgery.

Objective

To provide evidence for construct and longitudinal validity of the six-minute walk test (6MWT) as a measure of postsurgical recovery.

Design

Data from a randomized clinical trial.

Setting

A major teaching hospital in a Canadian urban city.

Participants

Patients (N=63) undergoing elective colon resection.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Functional walking capacity was measured using the 6MWT at before surgery and at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery.

Results

At 3 weeks, 26 (41%) patients recovered to baseline or greater on the 6MWT distance, and 37 (59%) were at baseline or better by 6 weeks postdischarge. At all time points, the 6MWT distance correlated with age, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of surgical risk, albumin, the physical function subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the physical component summary score of the SF-36. Baseline 6MWT distance correlated with postoperative 6MWT recovery, and baseline SF-36 and ASA were associated with postoperative recovery. Patients with intraoperative complications had a clinically relevant lower 6MWT than those without complications at all time points.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence for construct validity and sensitivity to change for the 6MWT as a measure of surgical recovery.

a Division of Clinical Epidemiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

b School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

c Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

d Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Nancy E. Mayo, PhD, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Ross Pavilion R4.29, Royal Victoria Hospital Site, 687 Pine Ave W, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(08)00123-8

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.11.031


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