Functional assessment of coronary grafts on dobutamine pharmacological stress echocardiogram.

Objective: To verify the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of dobutamine stress echocardiogram (DSE) when assessing the functional status of coronary grafts: sufficient (SUF) or insufficient (INS).

Methods: We carried out a prospective, observational study which included 25 patients submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The DSE and the coronary angiography were performed before the CABG and three months after the CABG.

The effects of beta-blockers on dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography: early protocol versus standard protocol.

Background: To study the effects of Beta-blockers during Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography (DSE) comparing the hemodynamic benefits of an early administration of atropine in patients taking or not Beta-blockers.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients were submitted to dobutamine stress echocardiography for the investigation of myocardial ischemia. The administration of atropine was randomized into two groups: A or B (early protocol when atropine was administered at 10 and 20 mcg/kg/min of dobutamine, respectively) and C (standard protocol with atropine at 40 mcg/kg/min of dobutamine).

The effects of early administration of atropine during dobutamine stress echocardiography: advantages and disadvantages of early dobutamine-atropine protocol.

Background: The conventional dobutamine protocol for the investigation of induced myocardial ischemia is well established. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of early administration of atropine during the dobutamine stress echocardiogram, as compared to its conventional use.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients were referred to the dobutamine stress echocardiogram, for the investigation of myocardial ischemia and the administration of atropine was randomized into three groups (A, B, C at 10, 20 and 40 mcg/kg/min of dobutamine, respectively).