From the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (Aldhahi), College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; from the Lifestyle and Health Research Center (AL-Hazzaa), Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (Alqahtani), College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Med J. 2024 Feb;45(2):154-162. doi: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.2.20230713.
To assess the prevalence of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) usage and identify barriers among major hospitals and medical centers in Saudi Arabia. We also aim to compare these findings with data from nearly 2 decades ago.
In this cross-sectional study, 70 major hospitals and medical centers were contacted, and 52 (74.2%) responded. The participants involved in this study were healthcare providers proficient in carrying out CPET from different specialties. The survey comprised 21 items covering CPET utilization, exercise mode characteristics, common protocols, types of patients or disorders, and barriers to not carrying out CPET.
The majority (n=37; 71.9%) of the centers reported a lack of CPET utilization. Of the 15 centers that used CPET, only 11 carried out regular CPET. Cardiac-related conditions were the most commonly referred clinical cases (n=7), followed by pulmonary conditions and cardiopulmonary fitness. The common barriers to carrying out CPET have remained unchanged compared to 2 decades ago - that is, the lack of equipment or trained technicians. However, there has been a 14.1% increase in the utilization of CPET and a 10.1% increase in the use of treadmill mode compared to a survey carried out 2 decades ago.
Although CPET utilization has increased over 2 decades, this still falls below the desired benchmark. This highlights the need for collaborative efforts among policymakers, and healthcare institutions to address barriers and improve CPET integration into clinical practice.
评估沙特阿拉伯主要医院和医疗中心进行心肺运动测试（CPET）的使用情况，并确定其中的障碍。我们还旨在将这些发现与近 20 年前的数据进行比较。
在这项横断面研究中，联系了 70 家主要医院和医疗中心，其中 52 家（74.2%）做出了回应。参与这项研究的是来自不同专业的熟练进行 CPET 的医疗保健提供者。该调查包括 21 个项目，涵盖 CPET 的使用、运动模式特征、常见方案、患者或疾病类型以及不进行 CPET 的障碍。
大多数（n=37；71.9%）中心报告 CPET 的利用率低。在使用 CPET 的 15 个中心中，只有 11 个中心进行常规 CPET。与心肺相关的疾病是最常见的转诊临床病例（n=7），其次是肺部疾病和心肺适应性。与 20 年前相比，进行 CPET 的常见障碍仍然没有改变，即缺乏设备或经过培训的技术人员。然而，与 20 年前的调查相比，CPET 的利用率增加了 14.1%，跑步机模式的使用率增加了 10.1%。
尽管 CPET 的使用在过去 20 年中有所增加，但仍低于预期的基准。这突出表明需要政策制定者和医疗机构共同努力，解决障碍问题，并将 CPET 更好地融入临床实践。
