[Effect of a surgical mask on six minute walking distance].

INTRODUCTION: Six minutes walking test (6MWT) is regularly used in pulmonology. To minimize the risk of cross-infection, some patients must wear surgical mask at rest and sometimes during exercise.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effect of wearing a surgical mask during 6MWT in healthy subjects.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: It is a prospective study on 44 healthy subjects. After a first 6MWT for training, they performed randomly two 6MWT: with or without a surgical mask. Distance and dyspnea, heart rate and saturation variations were recorded.

RESULTS: Distance was not modified by the mask (P=0.99). Dyspnea variation was significantly higher with surgical mask (+5.6 vs. +4.6; P<0.001) and the difference was clinically relevant. No difference was found for the variation of other parameters.

CONCLUSION: Wearing a surgical mask modifies significantly and clinically dyspnea without influencing walked distance.