Table 2.

Reasons for stopping the Exercise Evaluation Tool protocol among 502 cardiac rehabilitation patients

Reason for stopping*	n (%)
RPE of 15 reached	412 (82.1%)
90% of heart rate maximum reached	18 (3.5%)
Dyspnea	14 (2.8%)
Orthopedic issues	12 (2.4%)
Drop in blood pressure	11 (2.2%)
Electrocardiogram changes	10 (2.0%)
Chest pain	6 (1.2%)
Increased blood pressure	6 (1.2%)
Patient request	5 (1.0%)
Dizziness/lightheadedness	3 (0.6%)
Reached a maximum allowed heart rate defined by the patient's physician and documented in the patient's chart	2 (0.4%)
Panic attack	1 (0.2%)
Decreased oxygen saturation	1 (0.2%)
Patient completed protocol	1 (0.2%)

^*Target stopping point was a patient's rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 15. Other reasons for stopping were warning signs that continuing the protocol may carry more risk than benefit.