Side effects of transesophageal dobutamine stress echocardiography

The transesophageal echocardiographic approach improves the diagnostic powe r of transthoracic stress echocardiography. However, it is a seminvasive te st and its safety is not well established. Our objective was to compare the incidence of complications of transesophageal and transthoracic dobutamine echocardiography. We collected data from 63 patients with inadequate trans thoracic window, who underwent transesophageal dobutamine echocardiography and were compared with 100 patients in whom the transthoracic approach was diagnostic. Baseline blood pressure and heart rate were higher in the first group. There were no differences in those parameters at the end of the tes t. Neither were atropine administration and side effects more frequent in a ny of the groups. There were no cases of ventricular fibrillation, ventricu lar tachycardia, acute myocardial infarction, intractable angina or intoler ance to the probe. Side effects were equally present in both groups. Transe sophageal dobutamine stress echocardiography is a safe test that can be use d in patients with coronary artery disease and poor transthoracic window.