Pulmonary Exercise Stress Test
Exercise testing is designed to evaluate the response of your or your child’s breathing to exercise, specifically bronchospasm (asthma). Exercise testing is useful to doctors in detecting breathing problems that are not obvious when you or your child is at rest. Exercise testing involves walking on a treadmill with progressively increasing speeds and elevations. A pulmonary function test (spirometry) will be performed before and after your exercise testing.
During exercise testing your heart response will be monitored with a series of EKG patches placed on your chest. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your arm for measurements. You will wear a probe on your forehead to monitor the levels of oxygen in your blood during the test. The speed and elevation of the treadmill will gradually be increased until a predetermined heart rate is reached or until you or your child begins to show signs of breathing difficulty. The technician will instruct, coach and encourage you or your child with specific instructions throughout the testing procedure.
Exercise Testing is performed on the 6th floor of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in the Bryan Diagnostic Center . Our center is staffed by specially trained respiratory therapists and technicians.
If your doctor has requested that a Pulmonary Function test be obtained for your child, you can call 216-844-TEST to set-up an appointment.