STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Course overview

STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY CONSTITUTES THE COMBINATION OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY WITH PHYSICAL, PHARMACOLOGICAL, OR LESS COMMONLY, ELECTRICAL PACING. IN SOME PATIENTS, STRESS MAY INCREASE ISCHEMIA OR LEAD TO NEW OR WORSENED WALL MOTION ABNORMALITIES. STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IDENTIFYING WALL MOTION ABNORMALITIES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE. IT IS ALSO USED FOR EVALUATION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC HEART FAILURE, VALVULAR PATHOLOGIES, NONISCHEMIC CARDIOMYOPATHY, PULMONARY HYPERTENSION, AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, ITS INDICATIONS, AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING PATIENTS WITH HEART DISEASE.