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Cardiac Exercise Test
You have been scheduled for a cardiac exercise test which involves exercising on the treadmill (right) until your heart rate reaches a certain level. This is in order to assess the function of your heart both at rest and stress using information obtained from an EKG.
Patient Preparation
You cannot have any food or drink 3 hours before the test. And if not contraindicated by your physician, do not take Beta blockers* for 48 hours and calcium channel blockers* for 24 hours prior to the exam . Wear or bring comfortable clothing and shoes as you will be asked to exercise on a treadmill. Informed consent will be obtained.
*Note: Do not discontinue medications without your physician's consent.
Procedure
Once in the exam room, you will be prepped for an EKG by one of our technologists and the procedure will be explained in detail. An I.V. catheter line may be placed in your arm so that an IV drug can be administered if necessary. Following the initial Resting EKG, a base line blood pressure will be taken, one of our Cardiologist will review the EKG prior to the exercise. You will then exercise on a treadmill under the supervision of the doctor who will monitor your EKG rhythm and the heart rate. You will be expected to have a moderate amount of fatigue and discomfort during exercise, and the blood pressure will be monitored periodically. In order to obtain the accurate diagnostic information of your heart condition, you may be asked to continue to exercise until your heart rate reaches a certain level.
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