Stress echocardiography is a special test that helps us see how the patient’s heart works when it’s under stress, like during exercise. It’s similar to a regular echocardiogram, but we do this test to find out how well the heart can pump blood when it’s working harder than usual. This can help us detect heart problems that might not show up when the heart is at rest.

When the patient arrives, they’ll be taken to an examination room. The patient’s will need to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, as they’ll be doing some physical activity during the test.
We’ll attach small, sticky patches called electrodes to your child’s chest. These are connected to a machine that monitors the heart’s electrical activity, known as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
Before any exercise, we’ll do a regular echocardiogram while the patient is resting. This involves applying a bit of gel to the patient’s chest and using an ultrasound probe to take pictures of the heart. This gives us a baseline image of how the heart is functioning when it’s not stressed.
To put stress on the heart, we’ll have the patient either exercise or, if exercise isn’t possible, they might receive a medication that makes the heart work harder, similar to how it would during exercise.
If the patient’s is exercising, they’ll typically walk or run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike. The exercise starts off easy and gradually gets harder. Throughout this time, we’ll monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and EKG to ensure everything is safe.
If the patient is given medication instead, it will be through an IV, and it will increase the heart rate similarly to how it would during physical activity.
Right after the exercise or once the medication has taken effect, we’ll quickly perform another echocardiogram to see how the heart is working under stress.
We’ll compare these images with the baseline images to look for any changes in how the heart is pumping blood. This can help us identify issues like reduced blood flow to certain parts of the heart, which might suggest problems like blocked arteries or other heart conditions.
Once the test is over, the patient will have a cool-down period where they can rest, and we’ll monitor them to ensure their heart rate and blood pressure return to normal.
We’ll then remove the electrodes and IV (if used), and your child can get dressed and resume normal activities. There are usually no side effects, but your child might feel a bit tired if they’ve done physical exercise.
This test helps us understand how well the patient’s heart can handle physical activity. It’s particularly useful for detecting issues that might not be apparent when the heart is at rest, such as certain types of heart disease or blockages in the blood vessels.
It’s a very safe and informative test that gives us a better understanding of the patient’s heart health, especially in situations that put extra strain on the heart. We’ll make sure your child is comfortable and closely monitored throughout the procedure, and we’re here to answer any questions you might have.”