Requirements and termination criteria
Not every patient is suitable for an ergometry, because some of them take too big risks for their health. For example, it should not be performed on patients who have suffered a heart attack, an aneurysm, an inflammation of the pericardium or heart muscle, an uncompensated reduction in cardiac output or a blockage of a pulmonary vessel. There are various reasons to discontinue a stress examination.
If there are some abnormalities in the ECG, it does not have to be stopped immediately. However, caution is advised. If the ECG gives indications of an imminent heart attack, e.g. if the blood pressure goes to extremes (>220 mmHg) or falls below the blood pressure before the stress test, or if the pulse rises too much for a long time or the patient feels severe shortness of breath and pain in the chest area, the examination must be aborted without fail, even though the patient may not feel bad.