Exertional hypotension and postexertional ventricular fibrillation in stress testing

Six men, clinically diagnosed as having coronary heart disease, had postexertional ventricular fibrillation after maximal exercise testing. The common feature of their treadmill performance was “exertional hypotension,” that is, a decrease or a limited increase (10 mm Hg) in systolic blood pressure. All six men were successfully resuscitated with electrical defibrillation. The major indication for electrocardiographic monitoring is the detection of major ventricular arrhythmias and changes in QRS-ST-T of acute myocardial infarction or severe ischemia, all of which are urgent indications for stopping exertion. Close supervision both during and after exercise testing is essential, particularly in men with severe coronary artery disease; monitoring of changes in systolic pressure during and shortly after exercise testing is as important as searching for changes in the S-T segment.