Pharmacologic Stress Echocardiography

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Pharmacologic stress echocardiography is a test that shows the action of the heart under stress. The test uses medicines to make the heart work just as it does when you exercise. The medicines will cause the heart to work harder and pump more oxygen-rich blood to the body. It is done for people who have heart-related symptoms but cannot do an exercise stress test. Actual pumping of the heart and areas of the heart that are not working well are seen on a monitor and recorded.
  
  
• A picture of your heart while you are resting is taken using an echocardiogram (ultrasound) before the medicine is given. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to take images of the heart. Images before giving the medicines are compared with those during and after to know how the heart responds to stress. The activity of the heart will also be watched on a monitor using an electrocardiogram (ECG). After all of the medicine has been given, more pictures are taken.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

Lifestyle changes:

After the test results are looked at, caregivers may suggest that you make lifestyle changes such as the following:

• Eat a healthy diet: Eat a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, low-fat dairy products, beans, lean meat, and fish. Eating healthy foods may help you have more energy. Ask your caregiver if you need to be on a special diet.
  
  
• Drinking liquids: Adults should drink about 9 to 13 cups of liquid each day. One cup is 8 ounces. Good choices of liquids for most people include water, juice, and milk. Coffee, soup, and fruit may be counted in your daily liquid amount. Ask your caregiver how much liquid you should drink each day.
  
  
• Start exercising: Talk to your caregiver before you start exercising. Together you can plan the best exercise program for you. It is best to start slowly and do more as you get stronger. Exercising can help make your heart stronger and keep you healthy.
  
  
• Quit smoking: It is never too late to quit smoking. Smoking harms the heart, lungs, and the blood. You are more likely to have a heart attack, lung disease, and cancer if you smoke. You will help yourself and those around you by not smoking. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to stop smoking if you are having trouble quitting.

For more information contact the following:

• American Heart Association National Center
  7272 Greenville Avenue
  Dallas , TX 75231-4596
  Phone: 1- 800 - 242-8721
  Web Address: http://www.americanheart.org
  

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You feel dizzy and lightheaded.
  
  
• You have nausea (upset stomach) or vomiting (throwing up).
  
  
• You have questions or concerns about your test, or medicine.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You have trouble breathing all of a sudden.
  
  
• You have chest pain even after taking medicines.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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