The Heart Center at St. Rita's
Stress Test (Exercise Only)
Regular, Non-Nuclear
A stress test provides continuous monitoring of the patient's heart rhythm, pulse and blood pressure to diagnose for underlying coronary artery disease. It involves having the patient either walk on a treadmill or ride a bicycle to increase the heart rate. It is supervised by a qualified physician.

What You Should Know
On the day of the test, you will need to register with Outpatient Registration on the first floor of the Medical Center behind the Information Desk. Plan to arrive 45 minutes before the scheduled stress test time. Following registration, the patient will be directed to the stress lab in Cardiopulmonary Services on the second floor. The entire procedure will take 20-30 minutes.

To prepare for this test, you should:

  • Avoid Solid Foods for Two Hours Before the Test
  • Wear Comfortable Walking Shoes
  • No Smoking for Two Hours Before the Test
  • Take Medications as Usual, Unless Otherwise Indicated by Physician
  • Do Not Take Viagra Medication 24 Hours Prior to the Test
  • No Caffeinated Coffee, Tea, Colas, Chocolate or Cocoa 24 hours Prior to the Test (Decaf is Acceptable, But Avoidance of All Such Beverages is Preferred)—You May Drink Water
  • Wear Slacks if Possible - No One Piece Jump Suits

An informed consent must be signed before the procedure by you and performing physician. Sticky electrode patches are applied to your chest and attached to an ECG machine to monitor the heart. A resting ECG and blood pressure are taken before the procedure for comparison. When the physician arrives, you will begin to either walk on a treadmill with varying speeds and elevations; or you will be asked to pedal a bicycle with increasing intensity every few minutes.

When the physician feels that you have walked long enough, if the heart rate is high enough to diagnose or if you show abnormalities or are too tired - the test will be stopped. The treadmill will be slowed to a slower pace for a minute cool down. The bicycle intensity will be eased and the patient will continue to bike for a minute at an easy pace.

After the cool-down period, you will sit in a chair to rest for an additional few minutes until your heart rate, blood pressure or ECG changes have returned to baseline. The physician may give you a preliminary report. Otherwise, the entire test will be reviewed by the physician and a report dictated. This report will be sent to the ordering physician and any referring physicians noted. The ordering physician will then discuss the results with you.

For More Information
(419) 226-9077
Map & Directions Map & Directions

 

Scheduling:
Appointment times are from 7:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To schedule an appointment contact St. Rita’s Central Scheduling at (419) 226-9056, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.