What You Should Know
To prepare for this test:
An informed consent must be signed by you and the cardiologist performing the test. Patches will be applied to your chest area and attached to an ECG machine, which will monitor the heart throughout the test. An IV will be started to administer medication. You will then be instructed to lie on your left side on a table. The technician will take pictures of your heart and store them on a disk and videotape. After the doctor arrives, the dobutamine (medication) will be started in the IV. This will cause the heart rate to increase gradually. You will remain lying on the examination table while the technologist takes echo pictures at several intervals determined by the dose of the drug given. Pictures will again be repeated when the heart rate returns to normal. After the test is completed, the doctor will compare the pictures taken throughout the test. This will show how the heart responds to the stress induced by the drug. The test will take about one to one and a half hours to complete . The patient's vital signs will be monitored until they return to baseline readings. The physician conducting the test may give you preliminary results at the completion of the test. However, some physicians prefer to send the results to the ordering physician for you to discuss the results with their physician. |
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