What is exercise ECG testing?
An ECG (also called EKG) 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 ECG 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 ECG is performed to assess the heart’s response to stress or exercise. The ECG is monitored while your child is exercising on a treadmill or stationary bike. While this procedure is seldom used for young children, it may be very useful in evaluating adolescents and young adults. An ECG 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,
