Patient Instructions for the Cardiovascular Exercise Test

Important Information 

Your child is scheduled for a cardiovascular exercise test to learn more about their heart and lungs and how much activity they can handle.

1. Your child will be asked to do 2 breathing tests to see how well their lungs are working:

• Take a deep breath and blow it out as hard as possible.  

• Breathe quickly and deeply for 10 seconds.

2. Then your child will exercise on the bike or treadmill for 10 to 15 minutes.  If your child is too small to use the bike, they can walk or run on a treadmill.  While exercising, your child will have the following equipment on to monitor their heart and lungs:

• Small electrodes are sticky pads with wires that will go on your child’s chest.  The wires (leads) will be connected to an ECG or EKG monitor.  This measures your child’s heart rate and rhythm during the test.

• Blood pressure cuff will go on your child’s upper arm.  Blood pressure will be measured every 3 minutes during the test.

• A finger clip will be placed on your child’s finger.  This measures the amount of oxygen in your child’s blood.

• Sterile, rubber facemask will be placed over your child’s nose and mouth and connected to a hollow tube that your child will breathe through. Your child will be breathing room air. The facemask is connected to a machine that measures the amount of oxygen used and carbon dioxide exhaled during the test.

• Halo headpiece is worn to support the mouthpiece and give your child’s head more freedom to move.

3. Your child’s heart rate and blood pressure will continue to be monitored for 10 minutes after they stop exercising.  When their heart rate and blood pressure are at their normal resting levels the test is complete.  The results of the test will be sent to your cardiologist.

Instructions to prepare for the test

• Your child cannot eat or drink for 2 hours before the test.  

• Wear or bring a loose-fitting t-shirt, comfortable pants or shorts (no overalls or one-piece outfits), socks, sneakers (no boots or sandals).

• Patients with a diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta should wear or bring shorts so that blood pressures may be taken on the leg.

• A parent or legal guardian must be with any patient who is under 18 years old.  Only one family member will be able to be in the lab with the patient during the test.

• Bring insurance information and two referrals (if required).

• 15 minutes before your appointment, check in at the Outpatient Cardiology Clinic.

• If your exercise test includes nuclear medicine imaging, you must also check in at the Outpatient Registration Office.

Call the Exercise Lab at (215)-590-3532 to reschedule an appointment, or if you have any questions about the exercise test.

Reviewed 8/22/2024 by Review Michael McBride, MD