Pocket Guide to Stress Testing

The go-to handbook for those performing and analysing cardiac stress tests

The stress test is key to the clinical evaluation and management of patients with known or potential cardiovascular disease. By measuring the heart's ability to respond to external stress, it can provide vital insights into the general physical condition of patients, highlighting abnormalities in blood flow, risk of coronary artery disease, and more. The Pocket Guide to Stress Testing gives cardiology professionals a complete breakdown of this everyday procedure that they can carry with them and consult on the go.

This second edition has been fully revised to reflect the most up-to-date information available on the best approaches to conducting and interpreting various forms of stress test. With chapters spanning topics such as testing guidelines, nuclear imaging techniques, and emergency and aftercare protocols, the clear and practical contents cover all aspects of the subject. This essential new text includes:
A complete overview of exercise stress testing, covering indications, protocols, preparation, and interpretation
Guidelines for the standard treadmill test, as well as for the various pharmacological stress tests for patients unable to complete an exercise ECG test
An extensive list of references and reading suggestions to help trainees to expand their knowledge
End-of-chapter summaries and new tables and illustrations

As the field of cardiology continues to change and develop apace, this new edition of The Pocket Guide to Stress Testing provides physicians, trainee cardiologists, and cardiac nurses with a reliable, up-to-date resource for use in everyday practice.

contents

Contributors xi

Preface xiii

Abbreviations xv

1 Introduction 1
Dennis A. Tighe

2 Preparations and Precautions 21
Bryon A. Gentile

3 Indications 35
Bryon A. Gentile

4 Contraindications to Stress Testing 45
Bryon A. Gentile

5 Exercise Stress ECG Test Protocols 53
Bryon A. Gentile and Dennis A. Tighe

6 Stress ECG Testing with Nuclear Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Techniques 67
Seth T. Dahlberg and Dennis A. Tighe

7 Stress Echocardiography 87
Dennis A. Tighe

8 Pharmacological Stress Testing 115
Dennis A. Tighe

9 Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing 141
Bryon A. Gentile

10 Stress Testing After Acute Coronary Syndromes 155
Dennis A. Tighe

11 Proper Selection of the Mode of Stress Testing 173
Dennis A. Tighe

12 Exercise‐induced Cardiac Arrhythmias 191
Bryon A. Gentile

13 Complications 221
Bryon A. Gentile

14 Interpretation 229
Bryon A. Gentile and Dennis A. Tighe

15 False‐Positive and False‐Negative Exercise ECG Test Results 267
John B. Dickey

16 Pediatric Exercise Testing 281
Thomas W. Rowland and Dennis A. Tighe

17 Follow‐up Care and Management 301
Dennis A. Tighe

18 Value of Exercise (Stress) ECG Testing Before Engaging in Exercise Programs or Competitive Sports 321
Bryon A. Gentile and Dennis A. Tighe

19 Exercise Prescriptions for Healthy Individuals and Cardiac Patients 329
Dennis A. Tighe and Samuel A. E. Headley

20 Computer Technology in the Field of Exercise ECG Stress Testing 359
Dennis A. Tighe

21 Medicolegal Aspects of Stress ECG Testing 375
Dennis A. Tighe

22 Educational Guide for Patients and Families 393
Dennis A. Tighe

Index 407

DENNIS A. TIGHE, MD, FACP, FACC, FASE, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.

BRYON A. GENTILE, II, MD, FACC, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.