What is cpet

Call Us for More Information. Explore This Testing Lab. Purpose of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing CPET The primary purpose of cardiopulmonary exercise testing CPET is to carefully assess how your lungs, heart, blood vessels and muscles perform during an exercise challenge. How CPET Works These pulmonary function tests are performed while you exercise: Oxygen saturation testing examines whether the oxygen level in the blood drops while you exercise Exercise testing on a stationary bicycle gauges lung and heart function during exercise Level 1: A basic exercise test that assesses overall functional capacity and points to possible causes for shortness of breath.

This test can be used for risk determination for an operation and for risk stratification for certain heart and lung diseases Level 2: Similar to Level 1 but includes a catheter in an artery in the wrist that allows measurement of blood oxygen, carbon dioxide and pH levels.

This enables more sophisticated evaluation of the cause of shortness of breath and exercise intolerance Level 3: Similar to Level 2, but also includes a catheter passed into the main blood vessels in the heart and lung to enable precise measurement of heart pumping function, blood vessel function and skeletal muscle function.

Related Content News Jun 18 Press Release Apr 22 Get a Second Opinion. Healthcare Professionals. Referring Physicians. Allied Healthcare. About Us. Make a Donation. Stanford Health Care Now. The time of exercise is patient specific but usually lasts less than 12 minutes. The test will be physically exhausting and the patient will be asked to give it their best effort. The information collected will reveal if little or no effort was put forth by the patient.

Raw data such as blood gasses, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption are gathered during the test. The report will be generated and be sent to a physician, usually a pulmonologist, for interpretation. The patient should set a follow up appointment for a couple of weeks post CPET to go over the results.

What to wear for the test Comfortable clothing suitable for light exercise, such as trainers and loose trousers are recommended. Do not eat a heavy meal for 2 hours before. Do not take alcohol for 4 hours before. Do not take vigorous exercise for 30 minutes. Do not wear any tight clothing that may restrict your breathing. Do not smoke for at least 1 hour prior. Please continue to take all prescribed medicine as normal. If the patient has experienced any of the following they should contact the department:.

Current or recent chest infection within the last 3 weeks. Recent eye, stomach or chest surgery. Heart attack or stroke within the last month. Chest Pain on the Day of the test.