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Sudden cardiac death in the young: the value of exercise testing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2017

Paul Stephens Jr*
Affiliation:
Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: P. Stephens Jr, Division of Cardiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19027, United States of America. Tel: 215-590-4040; Fax: 215-590-1340; E-mail: STEPHENS@email.chop.edu

Abstract

Paediatric exercise stress testing has historically been used to assess the functional status of patients after repair of CHDs and to assess the efficacy of medical or device therapy in patients with arrhythmias. Exercise stress testing is one of very few hospital- or clinic-based tests that can assess the response of the cardiopulmonary system in an environment that simulates the body’s response to vigorous play and competitive sport. Exercise stress testing is therefore a useful modality in the assessment of child and athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death. The author discusses some cardiovascular maladies that can cause sudden cardiac death by utilising case illustrations as a learning tool.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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