DOBUTAMINE STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (DSE)

Echocardiography uses ultrasound waves (high-frequency sound waves) to assess the motion of the heart muscle and blood vessels.

Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is a non-exercise stress test that allows the cardiologist to study the capacity and reserve of heart muscle function under stressful condition.

Dobutamine, a cardiac medication, is infused through a vein in increasing doses to stimulate the heart to beat faster and harder. Ultrasound images are then obtained to study the heart’s function during the infusion of dobutamine. These are then compared to the images obtained at rest to determine if any part of heart contracts abnormally.