Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography:

We prescribe a dobutamine stress echocardiography, if for any reason you are unable to exercise or have contraindications to exercise testing. If you have lung disease, arthritis or severe peripheral vascular disease, you may be scheduled for this alternative testing.

Dobutamine is similar to a chemical our own body releases, when we need to increase our activity, so our bodies generally tolerate it well. The drug acts in two ways: it increases your heart rate and it increases the force of your heart muscle contraction. Stress tests are commonly performed to:

You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.

Do not eat or smoke for six hours prior to the scheduled test time. You may have sips of water at any time. If you have diabetes, you should check with your family physician or call the , regarding any diet restriction, as well as special instructions regarding your blood sugar medicine or insulin.

Consult with your family physician or call the , regarding whether certain medications should be taken before or held until after the test. Certain medicine (most commonly, beta-blockers) may interfere with the effectiveness of the study. If you have high blood pressure, it is important to take your blood pressure medication.

Upon arrival to the , or hospital, an intravenous line (IV) will be inserted into your arm to infuse the dobutamine.  You will lie comfortably on a special examination table.  Ten electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes will be placed on your chest and connected to the ECG machine by lead wires or cables to continuously record electrocardiographic information during the procedure. A blood pressure cuff will be applied to your arm so we can record your blood pressure during the test. The sonographer will take ultrasound images of your heart at rest.

The dobutamine medication will be given to you slowly in several stages over about 10 minutes through the IV line in your arm. This procedure will be performed under the direction of a Dr. Stafford M. Smith (who is a “Board Certified Cardiologist”).

Ultrasound images will be taken at several different stages during the exam (four sets in all) and more images of your heart will be recorded after the drug is stopped. Your heart action will return to normal within a few minutes.  A few patients may require a therapeutic “reversal” of the dobutamine medication (if they find the effects to be too uncomfortable).

If you experience any symptoms, such as chest or arm pain, shortness of breath or lightheadedness, immediately inform the physician supervising your test.

When the dobutamine test is terminated, there will be a five-minute to 10-minute recovery period. All four images of your heart will be displayed in a "quad" screen for review by the sonographer and the cardiologist.

Your heart rate and rhythm and your blood pressure will be monitored continuously. When your heart rate and blood pressure have returned to baseline, you will be disconnected from the ECG machine and given an opportunity to clean up and depart.  Usually, the test time takes one hour to 1 1/2 hours, but this time may vary according to the individual patient.

The ECG tracings and the ultrasound images will be given to your cardiologist (Stafford M. Smith, M.D.) to interpret. An official report will be sent to your family physician (or other health care provider).  You may call the or your family physician’s office to obtain the official results of the study.  Feel free to make an appointment (if OK’d by your primary care physician) to discuss the meaning of the results of the dobutamine test with you.  Your primary care physician may also wish to discuss the results further with you if he/she prefers.  Please know that additional testing may be recommended.