Cardiac stress testing

An exercise stress echo, also called a stress echocardiogram or cardiac stress test, combines an ultrasound of your heart with a stress test performed on a treadmill while being closely monitored.

If you need a stress echocardiogram but you are unable to exercise, your provider will order a Dobutamine stress echocardiogram. Dobutamine is a medication which causes your heart to beat faster and harder. The dobutamine is infused through an intravenous (IV) port over 15 minutes and is stopped when a target heart rate is reached. During and after the infusion of the medication, the echo tech will take images of your heart.