CARDIAC STRESS TESTS-ECHO

SUMMARY

1. The stress echo is a widely used test for myocardial ischemia by the detection of stress-induced wall motion abnormalities.

2. Less sensitive but more specific than MPI for the detection of CAD.

3. Use exercise/dobutamine to achieve target HR, then evaluate changes in wall motion, systolic wall thickening, systolic EF, ventricular dilatation.

4. Abnormal wall motion or failure of the wall to thicken (contract) appropriately suggests myocardial ischemia.

5. Vasodilators are not used for stress echo.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].