Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of the 6-minute walk test (6 MWT) in uncomplicated myocardial infarction (MI) patients in the acute in-hospital phase. One hundred and thirty patients with acute MI (NSTEMI, non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction; STEMI, ST-elevation myocardial infarction) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) took part voluntarily in this study. The mean age of the patients was 61.4 (SD 11.3), ranging between 25 and 82 years. More than half of the patients were male (74.6%). Physicians in the intensive care unit identified potential participants based on the inclusion criteria and issued prescriptions for physiotherapy treatment. 6 MWT was conducted on the day of discharge. The vital parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) were measured by physiotherapists at rest, after 6 MWT and after 3 min of recovery. The data were supplemented with Borg Dyspnea and Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion values. The distance covered during 6 minutes was recorded. None of the 130 patients had to discontinue the 6 MWT. The average distance covered by the participants was 442.4±81.1 meters. Four patients (3%) out of 130 reported clinical complications without the need for intervention. The hypothesized 5% complication rate was not reached (p=0.0308). This study gives evidence, that a 6 MWT can be safely conducted in patients with an uncomplicated acute MI. Moreover, a 6 MWT can be considered as a valuable assessment giving prognostic value for cardiac rehabilitation after discharge.