|
|||
|
Stress echocardiography, using treadmill or bicycle exercise, is a widely utilized testing modality which provides important diagnostic and prognostic information for a variety of cardiac conditions. The Krannert Institute of Cardiology and Indiana University Echocardiography Laboratories were among the pioneers in the development of stress echocardiography and continue to perform and interpret a high volume of these tests, with over stress echocardiographic examinations performed in 2005.
Stress echocardiography involves taking ultrasound or "echo" pictures of the heart as it is beating at rest and after bicycle or treadmill exercise "stress". This allows for evaluation of global cardiac function, regional cardiac function, valvular function, and hemodynamic assessment. It has become one of the modalities of choice for the non-invasive evaluation of chest pain and shortness of breath, the diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease, the diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension, and the diagnosis and risk stratification of valvular heart disease. It is also used to assess response to therapy for the above described conditions and to determine functional capacity.
A stress echocardiogram takes approximately 60 minutes to complete and is performed on an outpatient basis. Echo images and an ECG are first obtained while the patient is at rest. The patient then performs gradually increasing levels of exercise on a treadmill or bicycle while the heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, ECG, and development of symptoms are continuously monitored. Exercise is terminated when limiting symptoms develop, a target heart rate is reached, or evidence of significant cardiac abnormality is observed. Post-exercise echo images are then obtained and compared to rest images.
Although there are no known risks of cardiac ultrasound imaging, there are potential risks involved with stress echocardiography. These include the development of decreased blood flow to part of the heart manifest by chest pain or difficulty breathing, heart rhythm disturbances, disturbances in blood pressure, and a very small risk of heart attack or death. In appropriately selected patients, the risk of serious complications is far less than 1%. All patients who present to the Krannert Institute of Cardiology or Indiana University Echocardiography Laboratories are carefully screened before the procedure for conditions that may increase these risks and appropriate precautions are taken.
Outpatient stress echocardiography is offered at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University Hospital, IU Health West Medical Center, and IU Health North Medical Center on a weekday basis.
