Ward SA; Human Bio-Energetics Research Centre, Crickhowell, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ; saward@dsl.pipex.com.
Grocott MP; University of Southampton, 7423, Anaesthesia and Critical Care Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ; m.grocott@soton.ac.uk.
Levett DZ; University of Southampton, Anaesthesia and Critical Care Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ; d.levett@soton.ac.uk.

Annals Of The American Thoracic Society [Ann Am Thorac Soc] 2017 Jun 07. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jun 07.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in hyperoxia and hypoxia has several applications, stemming from characterization of abnormal physiological response profiles associated with exercise intolerance. As altered oxygenation can impact on the performance of gas-concentration and flow sensors and pulmonary gas exchange algorithms, integrated CPET system function requires validation under these conditions. Also, as oxygenation status can influence peak O2 uptake, care should be taken in the selection of work-rate incrementation rates when CPET performance is to be compared with sea-level. CPET has been used to evaluate the effects of supplemental O2 on exercise intolerance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis at sea-level. However, identification of those CPET indices likely to be predictive of supplemental O2 outcomes for exercise tolerance at altitude in such patients is lacking. CPET performance with supplemental O2 in respiratory patients residing at high altitudes is poorly studied. Finally, CPET has the potential to give physiological and clinical information about acute and chronic mountain sickness, high-altitude pulmonary edema, and high-altitude cerebral edema. It can translate high-altitude acclimatization and adaptive processes in healthy individuals into intensive care medical practice.