PHARMACOLOGICAL STRESS-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY I N THE DIAGNOSTICS OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

Stress-echocardiography has become an widely accepted non-invasive met hod in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. By the use of pharmac ological agents to induce cardiovascular stress, even patients who are unable to exercise due to different accompanying diseases can be inve stigated. To date, especially dipyridamole and dobutamine have emerged to be useful agents to induce pharmacological stress for the inductio n of ischemia in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Diff erent protocols have been suggested for dipyridamole and dobutamine ec hocardiography. The aim of this paper is, besides presenting the two r ecommended protocols, to discuss the potential advantages and disadvan tages of the two pharmacons and to give a critical validation includin g the results of current studies and own experiences.