MUST DO ITEMS FOR
YOUR STRESS TEST:

Please read this page over thoroughly so you understand what is needed.  It is easy to get bamboozled in the hurry and confusion of modern medical facilities.  Review with them what you expect before starting the testing.  The charge is the same if it is right or if it is wrong.  YOU have to pay for the repeat if it is wrong.

(Note: these first 5 items are the most commonly overlooked errors)

1.  If you are under 70 years of age, you must go nine (9) minutes of the Bruce Protocol and reach 100% of your predicted heart rate if able.  Less than that may result in not being approved

2.  If you are 70 years or more, six minutes of the Bruce protocol is adequate.

3.  You must stop any medication  for 48 hours that will affect your pulse rate such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, digitalis, unless medically contraindicated.  Check with your doctor, if he or she does not wish for you to stop these medications, a letter of explanation will be needed with the report

4.  The stress test report must include the following:
        a.  Copy of the work sheet with blood pressure/pulse recordings a various stages
        b. Interpretive report
        c. Full ECG tracings:
            i.   Rhythm strip
            ii.  Full 12 lead ECG at rest, standing and supine; hyperventilation while standing
            iii. Full 12 lead ECG one or more times during each stage of exercise, at the end of each stage, at the peak of exercise, and every minute during recovery for at least five minutes (or at least until the tracings return to baseline).

5.  ♦♦ Sample cycle, computer generated tracings are NOT acceptable.  Submission of these will result in deferment until requirement is met.

6.  If there is any abnormality in the stress test, your cardiologist will probably want to do a "nuclear" SPECT, "Cardiolite", or "thallium" (old term) scan as part of the treadmill work out.  Include this report also along with the rest.  The FAA requires that copies of the images be included (it can be a CD or film).  A number of testing labs include this test as part of a "standard" stress test. 

You should have about 20 pages or so of material when you get through.  If you only have 2 or 3, make sure you get the full tracings from each stage!

Based on years of experience, it is very important for you to make sure your doctor and the testing personnel understand these instructions.  This may not exactly match  THEIR  methods.   You   MUST make sure they understand what is needed because repeats are usually at the airman's expense.  Of course, our office can answer any questions.