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Sweat test


Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

Why is my child having a sweat test?

The doctor wants your child to have a sweat test to find out if they have a condition called cystic fibrosis. This is an inherited, genetic disease that causes people to have a high amount of salt in their sweat. A small amount of sweat is needed from your child’s skin to measure the amount of salt. In cystic fibrosis these levels are high.
 

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Does it hurt my child?

A sweat test is a safe, painless procedure. It sometimes causes a slight irritation to the skin. Very young children with sensitive skin may have a reddened area after the test is finished which disappears quickly after a few minutes.
 

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Where is this test done?

A sweat test is usually performed in a laboratory but it can sometimes be done in a hospital ward by the laboratory staff.
 

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What do I take to the test?

Your child needs to be kept warm before and during the sweat test to encourage them to sweat. Bring a warm sweater or woollen blanket to wrap your baby. For an older child bring something for them to do (for example, a book, colouring book etc.). You will be able to feed your baby during the test.
 

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How long will the test take?

The whole sweat test takes about an hour.
 

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How is the sweat collected?

  • the sweat is collected from your child’s upper leg or upper arm – the child’s chest or back is never used
  • the area of skin is cleaned with pure water and dried
  • a solution to help sweating is put onto a small gauze swab and put on the cleaned area
  • small electrodes are placed over the gauze and left on for five minutes to help the sweating process; these do not hurt but some children may have a slight tingling feeling
  • the electrodes and gauze are taken off and the skin is washed and dried again
  • a small piece of blotting paper and a plastic dressing plaster is placed on the area to absorb the sweat - a bandage helps hold these in place
  • the bandage is left on for 45 minutes and in this time you can feed your child, or go for a walk
  • after 45 minutes the bandage is removed and you are free to go
A child's arm being prepared for a sweat test:
 
Child's arm - this is what happens during a sweat test Child's arm - this is what happens during a sweat test Child's arm - this is what happens during a sweat test
 

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Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 18/02/2011

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Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2012


The Paediatric Society of New Zealand
http://www.paediatrics.org.nz 		Starship Foundation
http://www.starship.org.nz