Background: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the Glittre ADL-test (GT) are used to assess functional capacity and exercise tolerance; however, the reproducibility of these tests needs further study in patients with acute lung diseases.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of the 6MWT and GT performed in patients hospitalized for acute and exacerbated chronic lung diseases.
Method: 48 h after hospitalization, 81 patients (50 males, age: 52 ± 18 years, FEV1: 58 ± 20% of the predicted value) performed two 6MWTs and two GTs in random order on different days.
Results: There was no difference between the first and second 6MWT (median 349 m [284-419] and 363 m [288-432], respectively) (ICC: 0.97; P < 0.0001). A difference between the first and second tests was found in GT (median 286 s [220-378] and 244 s [197-323] respectively; P < 0.001) (ICC: 0.91; P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Although both the 6MWT and GT were reproducible, the best results occurred in the second test, demonstrating a learning effect. These results indicate that at least two tests are necessary to obtain reliable assessments.