Pediatric Cardiac Stress Tests

Equipment used during the test includes:

• a treadmill or stationary bike
• an ECG machine
• a pulse oximeter (to measure blood oxygen)
• electrodes and lead wires
• a blood pressure monitor.

Your child may also wear a headpiece, mouthpiece and nose clips to measure respirations during exercise.

Your child will have a baseline ECG and blood pressure reading taken before exercising. During the test, an ECG tracing is monitored throughout to track the heart's response to increasing stress. On a treadmill, incline and speed are increased periodically; on a bike, resistance is increased while your child pedals at a steady rate. ECG, blood pressure and breathing are monitored throughout. Your child will exercise until reaching a target heart rate — set by your physician based on age and physical status — or until stopping due to fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, irregular heart rhythms, or other symptoms. Afterward, your child will sit for about 15 minutes while ECG and blood pressure continue to be monitored.

Watch the video below to learn more about preparing for a cardiopulmonary exercise test: 

A hospital stay is not necessary after the procedure unless your physician determines that your child's condition requires further observation or hospital admission. Your child may feel a little tired or sore for a few hours after the procedure, particularly if they are not used to exercising. Otherwise, your child should feel normal within a few hours after the procedure, if not sooner.

Depending on the results of the exercise ECG, additional tests or procedures may be scheduled for more diagnostic information.