Stress echocardiography is an ultrasound examination of your heart during exercise. This examination is more sensitive than a normal stress test to detect a possible blood supply disorder to the heart muscle. It can also be performed to evaluate a deficient valve during exercise. If your heart is healthy, it will work harder during exercise. On the other hand, if an area of the heart is poorly irrigated, due to the narrowing of a coronary artery or a myocardial abnormality, it will contract less well. Stress-related echocardiography makes it possible to detect this contraction anomaly. Stress is generally achieved through physical practice, and for practical reasons on a semi-recumbent bike allowing the realization of images concomitant with the effort. In case of inability to pedal (lack of strength, osteoarticular pathologies, etc.), The effort can be "mimicked" by the infusion of a pharmacological agent: dobutamine +/- combined with atropine. A beta blocker is then used to slow down the heart (calcium channel blocker bradycardic in case of contraindication to beta-blocker).

  

Performing the stress ultrasound:

Electrocardiographic images are recorded before, during and after stress while pedalling.

The examination takes place in an ultrasound room equipped with all the essential medicines and equipment in case of emergency. 

The exam takes about 20 minutes, including the preparation and placement of electrodes on your chest and a blood pressure monitor on your arm to continuously monitor your heart parameters.

The occurrence of any other symptom, in particular angina pain that reminds you of the one for which you were referred, should be reported immediately.

After the examination, no symptoms should be present at the end of the test.

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Are there any risks associated with stress ultrasound? 

 Minor incidents may occur, such as palpitations or chest pain that stops quickly when the examination is stopped. More serious incidents rarely occur: in about 0.5% of cases during stress ultrasound; These are mainly problems of prolonged pain in the chest or heart rhythm disorders that rarely require urgent intervention (which