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Complications of ergometer exercise in children
Insights
Pediatric exercise testing shows a low complication rate of 1.79%, with no deaths reported. This safety profile supports wider use of stress testing for assessing children's functional capacity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Exercise testing is crucial for assessing functional capacity in children.
- Understanding the safety profile of pediatric exercise testing is essential for clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of significant complications associated with exercise testing in pediatric populations.
- To evaluate the safety and risks of maximal effort cycle ergometer testing in children.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of 1,730 exercise tests conducted in children over a 9-year period (1973-1982).
- Utilized a graded, continuous exercise test to maximal effort on a cycle ergometer.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of complications was 1.79%.
- No deaths were recorded during the study period.
- Specific complications included chest pain (0.69%), dizziness or syncope (0.29%), decreased blood pressure (0.35%), and hazardous arrhythmias (0.46%).
Conclusions:
- Exercise testing in children demonstrates low morbidity and mortality rates.
- The established safety of stress testing encourages broader physician adoption for functional ability assessments in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
To determine the frequency of significant complications of exercise testing in children, we reviewed 1,730 studies performed over a 9-year period, 1973 to 1982. The protocol used a graded, continuous test to maximal effort on a cycle ergometer. The overall incidence of complications was 1.79%, similar to the 1.7% previously reported by Freed [4]. No deaths occurred. Complications were classified into 4 groups with their frequency of occurrence as follows: chest pain (0.69%), dizziness or syncope (0.29%), decreased blood pressure (0.35%), hazardous arrhythmias (0.46%). These data confirm that exercise testing in children has low morbidity and mortality. We believe that the safety of stress testing should encourage physicians to expand its use in the assessment of functional ability.