Exercise EKG / ECG Testing
What is exercise EKG testing?An EKG (also called ECG) is one of the simplest and fastest
procedures used to evaluate the heart. Electrodes (small, plastic patches)
are placed at certain locations on your child's chest, arms, and legs.
When the electrodes are connected to the EKG machine by lead wires, the
electrical activity of your child's heart is measured, interpreted, and
printed out for the physician's information and further interpretation.
An exercise EKG is performed to assess the heart's response to stress
or exercise. The EKG is monitored while your child is exercising on a
treadmill or stationary bike.
An EKG tracing will be run at certain points during the test in order
to compare the effects of increasing stress on the heart. On a treadmill,
the incline and treadmill speed will be increased periodically in order to
make your child exercise harder. If your child is riding a bicycle, he/she
will pedal faster against increased resistance. Your child will exercise
until reaching a target heart rate (determined by the physician based on
your child's age and physical status) or until your child is unable to
continue due to fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, irregular heart
rhythms, or other symptoms.
How is the exercise EKG test performed?The procedure is performed in a physician's office, clinic,
hospital, or medical center. The equipment used includes an EKG machine,
electrodes (small, plastic patches that stick on the skin), and lead wires
which attach to the skin electrodes. A blood pressure cuff attached to an
electronic monitoring machine is used. A treadmill or stationary bicycle
is used for exercise.
Your child will have initial, or "baseline," EKG and blood pressure
readings done while sitting, prior to exercising. He/she will walk on the
treadmill or pedal the bicycle during the exercise portion of the
procedure. The incline of the treadmill will be gradually increased, or
the resistance of the bicycle will be gradually increased, in order to
give your child a harder workout. EKG and blood pressure will be monitored
during the exercise portion of the test. Your child will then sit after
exercising while EKG and blood pressure are monitored for a short time,
perhaps another 10 to 15 minutes or so.
The procedure will take approximately one hour, including check-in,
preparation, and the actual procedure.
After the procedure, a hospital stay is not necessary, unless your
child's 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 he/she is 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 EKG, additional tests or
procedures may be scheduled to gather further diagnostic information.
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