UCLA Pediatric Cardiology faculty have particular interest and expertise in the use of exercise testing for a wide variety of pediatric patients. While exercise may carry risks for some patients, for others exercise may actually be prescribed as part of the therapeutic regimen.
Exercise testing represents an important component in the assessment of heart disease in children and can assist in assess both pre-operative and post operative status. Exercise testing can also play a role in assessing the safety and advisability of participation in competitive sports. There are 2 cardiopulmonary exercise testing laboratories at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Both the outpatient and inpatient laboratories are approximately 400 sq. ft. and include treadmills, and stationary bikes. Exercise testing can be performed with a variety of complementary tests including nuclear perfusion scans, echocardiography, oximetry and oxygen consumption. Routine exercise testing is available for patients as young as 6 years of age and as small as 4'6".
