Can pre-treatment with beta-agonists reduce stress test time and the use of atropine in dobutamine stress testing?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the use of inhaled beta-agonists decreases the duration of dobutamine stress testing (DAS), reduces the amount of dobutamine infused and decreases the use of atropine.


METHODS
34 patients on beta-agonists (group A) (mean age 65 +/- 8 years) and 32 patients not on beta-agonists or beta-blockers (group B) (mean age 65 +/- 10 years) undergoing DAS with SPECT were enrolled.


RESULTS
The time of infusion of dobutamine in group A was 6.41 +/- 1.58 min and in group B was 9.77 +/- 3.60 min (p < 0.001). The amount of dobutamine infused was 10.64 +/- 5 mg in group A and 19.20 +/- 8 mg in group B (p < 0.001). In group A, 2 of 34 patients and 18 of 32 patients in group B needed atropine to reach peak HR (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients on short acting beta-agonists require smaller amounts of dobutamine with a shorter infusion time during DAS, and lesser use of side-effect prone atropine.
Desai
M Y
MY
Division of Nuclear Cardiology and Nuclear Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
De la Peña-Almaguer
E
E
Mannting
F
F
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol; D001285:Atropine; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis; D004280:Dobutamine; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011292:Premedication; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D004280:Dobutamine; D001285:Atropine; D000420:Albuterol