St Vincents Private Hospitals

How does it work?

During the test, your doctor will firstly take images of your heart at rest. This is known as a resting echo and is often done in conjunction with an ECG (electrocardiogram) which measures the resting electrical activity in your heart. Once the resting images are complete, the dobutamine medication is administered to mimic the effect of exercise on your heart. Ultrasound pictures are captured as the level of medication is gradually increased to meet the target heart rate. At this point the medication is stopped, and your heart and blood pressure are monitored until they return to normal.  

Why do I need it?

Your doctor may recommend a dobutamine stress echocardiogram if you have been experiencing heart-related symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or shortness of breath. It is a useful way to test the heart’s function and structure, and to determine safe exercise limits for patients in cardio rehabilitation or those recovering from a cardiac event such as a heart attack. The dobutamine stress echocardiogram can also evaluate the health of your heart prior to any type of heart surgery.

What does it test for? What does it show?

Dobutamine stress echocardiograms are used to diagnose and monitor heart conditions such as coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy and heart valve disease. It can also assess how well your heart responds to activity, the risk of developing heart disease in the future and whether any current treatment is working effectively. In some cases, your doctor may recommend further testing to confirm your condition.