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TREADMILL EXERCISE TEST

By: Aaron Uy

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TREADMILL - An exercise device consisting of acontinuous moving belt on which a person canwalk or jog while remaining in one place.

TREADMILL EXERCISE - A continuous eKG

recording of the heart as the patient performsincreasing levels of exercise. In addition todetecting abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias),the exercise treadmill is a screening test for the

presence of narrowed coronary arteries thatcan limit the supply of oxygenated blood tothe heart muscle during exercise.

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CONTRAINDICATION

occurrence of an acute heart attack within the

last 48 hours

chest pain, which is also known as angina uncontrolled arrhythmia.

decompensated heart failure

cardiac infection high blood pressure greater than 110 /200 mm

Hg

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MATERIALS / EQUIPMENTS

Computerized Electrocardiography

Wireless Telemetry

Treadmill Fall Protection

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PREPARATION

Do not eat or drink anything except water for four hours before thetest.

Do not drink or eat foods containing caffeine for 12 hours before thetest. Caffeine will interfere with the results of your test.

Do not take the following heart medications on the day of your test

unless your doctor tells you otherwise, or if the medication is neededto treat chest discomfort the day of the test:Isosorbidedinitrate, Isosorbide mononitrate, Nitroglycerin. Your doctor may alsoask you to stop taking other heart medications on the day of your test.If you have any questions about your medications, ask your doctor. Donot discontinue any medication without first talking with your doctor.

If you use an inhaler for your breathing, please bring it to the test.

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TREADMILL EXERCISE TEST

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PROCEDURE

First, during a stress test, a technician will gentlyclean 10 small areas on your chest and placeelectrodes (small, flat, sticky patches) on theseareas.

The electrodes are attached to anelectrocardiograph monitor (ECG or EKG) thatcharts your heart's electrical activity during thetest.

Before you start exercising, the technician willperform an EKG, to measure your heart rate atrest and will take your blood pressure.

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You will begin to exercise by walking on a treadmill. Therate of exercise, or degree of difficulty will graduallyincrease. You will be asked to exercise until you feelexhausted.

At regular intervals, the lab personnel will ask how youare feeling. Tell them if you feel chest, arm or jaw pain ordiscomfort, short of breath, dizzy, lightheaded, or anyother unusual symptoms. It is normal for your heart rate,blood pressure, breathing rate, and perspiration to

increase during the test. The lab personnel will watch forany symptoms or changes on the ECG monitor thatsuggest the test should be stopped.

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After the test you will walk or pedal slowly for a

couple of minutes to cool down. Your heart

rate, blood pressure and ECG will continue to

be monitored until the levels begin returning to

normal.

Although the appointment lasts about 60

minutes, the actual exercise time is usuallybetween seven and 12 minutes.

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Jitteriness or discomfort while getting medicine tomake your heart work harder (you may be givenmedicine if you can't exercise). These side effectsusually go away shortly after you stop getting themedicine. In some cases, the symptoms may last afew hours.

Also, some of the medicines used forpharmacological stress tests can cause wheezing,

shortness of breath, and other asthma-likesymptoms. In some cases, these symptoms maybe severe and require treatment.

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NURSING RESPONSIBILITIES

The nurse instructs the patient to avoid caffeine (coffee,

tea, and medications such as Anacin or Excedrin) for 24

hours prior to his test and to fast six hours beforehand.Small sips of water are OK.

The nurse asks the patient about current medications

and instructions from his physician about taking thosemedications on the day of the test.

Before the test, the nurse attaches a blood pressure

cuff to the patients arm, starts an intravenous line inhis other arm to infuse the adenosine, and applies

electrodes on his chest to monitor his heart.

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The nurse checks blood pressure, heart rate

and rhythm, and monitors for possible side

effects such as chest pain or breathing

difficulties during the adenosine infusion.

The nurse informs the patient that he can

resume normal activities after the test. His

physician will review test results with him at alater date.