talina
03-09-2005, 10:17 AM
Hi. I am Talina, a Pediatric/Neonatal Registered Nurse. My 13 year old son was taken to his Pediatrician on the urging of his personal trainer when having an "episode"--the most recent of about 4 or 5 in the last year. This episode occurs during strenuous exercise (my son is a competitive football, basketball and track athlete), and he describes it as "someone sitting on my chest, like I am breathing through a straw, I get dizzy and things go black."
The Pediatrician diagnosed him with EIA or exercised induced asthma, gave him an Albuterol inhaler, and an appointment with a Pediatric Cardiologist to rule out HCM.
Our appointment with the Cardiologist was yesterday, and my heart stopped (figuratively) when his EKG showed left ventricular hypertrophy. We then had an echocardiogram. The echo showed a "normal" adult-sized heart with ventricles appropriately sized. No abnormalities were seen.
His diagnosis by the Cardiologist were
1) ? EIA--though he is not convinced and says the following two diagnoses would be aggravated by use of an Albuterol inhaler
2) Hyperventilation
3) Hypotension
BUT we were scheduled for a treadmill test next Friday. He explained the EKG results as the electrical activity of an adult-sized heart traveling through a small chest wall vs. the chest wall of an adult. My son is 5'10" and 140 pounds, tall and thin/muscular.
I am looking for any advice on pursuing HCM further? Is an echo the final diagnostic tool? There is NO family history of sudden death or cardiac anomalies/disease. What is the purpose of the treadmill test?
Thanks for any advice (in advance).
The Pediatrician diagnosed him with EIA or exercised induced asthma, gave him an Albuterol inhaler, and an appointment with a Pediatric Cardiologist to rule out HCM.
Our appointment with the Cardiologist was yesterday, and my heart stopped (figuratively) when his EKG showed left ventricular hypertrophy. We then had an echocardiogram. The echo showed a "normal" adult-sized heart with ventricles appropriately sized. No abnormalities were seen.
His diagnosis by the Cardiologist were
1) ? EIA--though he is not convinced and says the following two diagnoses would be aggravated by use of an Albuterol inhaler
2) Hyperventilation
3) Hypotension
BUT we were scheduled for a treadmill test next Friday. He explained the EKG results as the electrical activity of an adult-sized heart traveling through a small chest wall vs. the chest wall of an adult. My son is 5'10" and 140 pounds, tall and thin/muscular.
I am looking for any advice on pursuing HCM further? Is an echo the final diagnostic tool? There is NO family history of sudden death or cardiac anomalies/disease. What is the purpose of the treadmill test?
Thanks for any advice (in advance).