Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1997 18(Supplement D):57-62; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/18.suppl_D.57
Copyright © 1997 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schröder, K.
Right arrow Articles by Schultheiss, H.-P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Schröder, K.
Right arrow Articles by Schultheiss, H.-P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1997 The European Society of Cardiology

Coronary artery disease — diagnosis of ischaemia: General considerations

K. Schröder and H.-P. Schultheiss

Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Dept. of Cardiology, Free University Berlin Germany

Correspondence: Dr Klaus Schröder, Reha-Klinik Ahrenshoop, Dorfstr. 55, 18347 Ahrenshoop, Germany

Stress echocardiography is a well established tool for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. It combines the provocation of myocardial ischaemia (either dynamic or non-dynamic) with images of the left ventricle obtained by two-dimensional echocardiography. Different modalities can be used to unmask coronary artery disease: increase of myocardial oxygen demand (exercise, pacing, or dobutamine) or reduction in oxygen supply (dipyridamole). Each form of stress has its distinct characteristics such as haemodynamic changes, accuracy, feasibility, and adverse effects, which specifically influence the decision ‘which test for which patient’.

Before engaging in the task of performing stress echocardiography, the cardiologist must have undergone special training under the supervision of an experienced stress echocardiographer, followed by an individual learning curve of ‘try out’ studies without any diagnostic impact. While performing a stress echocardiographic examination one must always keep the history and risk profile of the individual patient in mind. These factors influence the pre-test likelihood of a patient having coronary artery disease, and therefore also the diagnostic merit of a stress test.

While stress echocardiography is not the first test to be employed in patients with suspected coronary artery disease, it represents a diagnostic tool which, if used correctly, is likely to become the most important non-invasive technique in modern cardiology.

Key Words: Stress echocardiography • modalities • requirements • diagnostic approach


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.