Abstract
Syncope caused by cardiac asystole during dobutamine stress echocardiography occurred in a 60 year old woman presenting with chest pain and a non-diagnostic exercise test. Cardiac asystole was not associated with myocardial ischemia and was attributed to a powerful cardioinhibitory vagal reflex elicited by the stimulation by the drug of cardiac and aortic mechanoreceptors. Cardiac asystole was promptly reversed by the administration of atropine with no significant sequelae.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Abboud F. M. Ventricular syncope: is the heart a sensory organ? N Engl J Med. 1989 Feb 9;320(6):390–392. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198902093200609. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mark A. L. The Bezold-Jarisch reflex revisited: clinical implications of inhibitory reflexes originating in the heart. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1983 Jan;1(1):90–102. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(83)80014-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mazeika P. K., Nadazdin A., Oakley C. M. Clinical significance of abrupt vasodepression during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Am J Cardiol. 1992 Jun 1;69(17):1484–1486. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(92)90907-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mertes H., Sawada S. G., Ryan T., Segar D. S., Kovacs R., Foltz J., Feigenbaum H. Symptoms, adverse effects, and complications associated with dobutamine stress echocardiography. Experience in 1118 patients. Circulation. 1993 Jul;88(1):15–19. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.88.1.15. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Poldermans D., Fioretti P. M., Boersma E., Forster T., van Urk H., Cornel J. H., Arnese M., Roelandt R. T. Safety of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography in patients with suspected or proven coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 1994 Mar 1;73(7):456–459. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(94)90675-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Previtali M., Lanzarini L., Ferrario M., Tortorici M., Mussini A., Montemartini C. Dobutamine versus dipyridamole echocardiography in coronary artery disease. Circulation. 1991 May;83(5 Suppl):III27–III31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Previtali M., Lanzarini L., Fetiveau R., Poli A., Ferrario M., Falcone C., Mussini A. Comparison of dobutamine stress echocardiography, dipyridamole stress echocardiography and exercise stress testing for diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 1993 Oct 15;72(12):865–870. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(93)91097-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]