Akron Children’s Hospital offers cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to identify factors causing exercise intolerance and exercise-induced dyspnea (EID). It can also be useful in:
- Diagnosing and managing mitochondrial myopathy
- Differentiating between cardiac and pulmonary limitations in patients with repaired congenital heart defects
- Estimating prognosis in cystic fibrosis patients
This non-invasive testing analyzes circulatory, respiratory and metabolic functions during incremental exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill.
The CPET lab is a collaboration of pulmonary medicine, cardiology, neurology and sports medicine. The lab’s equipment includes a treadmill and exercise bike with separate monitors for metabolic parameters and EKG.
Measurements obtained during CPET include:
- Metabolic rate
- Oxygen consumption (VO2)
- CO2 production (VCO2)
- Respiratory exchange ratio
- Cardiac function
- Heart rate
- EKG
- Respiratory function
- Minute ventilation (VE)
- VE /VO2 and VE /VCO2
- SaO2
- PETCO2
Indications for Referral
- Patients may be referred to the CPET lab to:
- Evaluate EID in patients with symptoms not consistent with EIB (exercise-induced bronchoconstriction)
- Differentiate EIB from other causes of dyspnea (e.g., de-conditioning, physiological limitation,
- early restrictive abnormalities, etc.)
- Evaluate EID in known asthmatics despite appropriate treatment
- Evaluate fitness level
For more information or to refer a patient, call 330-543-8885.
