Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in congenital heart disease: (contra)indications and interpretation

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in paediatric cardiology differs in many aspects from the tests performed in adult cardiology. Children's cardiovascular responses during exercise testing present different characteristics, particularly oxygen uptake, heart rate and blood pressure response, which are essential in interpreting haemodynamic data. Diseases that are associated with myocardial ischaemia are rare in children. The main indications for CPET in children are evaluation of exercise capacity and the identification of exercise-induced arrhythmias. In this article we will review the main indications for CPET in children with congenital heart disease, the contraindications for exercise testing and the indications for terminating an exercise test. Moreover, we will address the interpretation of gas exchange data from CPET in children with congenital heart disease. (Neth Heart J 2009;17:385-92.)