title: Atrial fibrillation in dobutamine stress echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the incidence of atrial fibrillation induced by dobutamine stress echocardiography and characterize patients at risk of developing atrial fibrillation, by constructing a simple validated risk score index.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study using prospectively collected data.
  
  
  METHODS
  3800 consecutive patients in sinus rhythm undergoing dobutamine stress echocardiography were randomly divided to a case (2/3) and test group (1/3). Associations of predetermined demographic, clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables were calculated in patients with and without atrial fibrillation induced by dobutamine stress echocardiography in the case group. Logistic regression analysis determined significant independent risk predictors, a scoring index was constructed and validated on the test group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 2% incidence of dobutamine stress echocardiography-induced atrial fibrillation in the study population. Risk predictors of atrial fibrillation included: a history of atrial fibrillation (2 points), increased left atrial diameter, right bundle branch block, decreased rest heart rate and hypertension (1 point each). The case subgroup low-risk patients (score 0-2) had a 1% risk, moderate-risk patients (score 3) a 2.7% and high-risk patients (score 4-6) a 14.5% risk of developing atrial fibrillation during dobutamine stress echocardiography. The rates in the test subgroup were 1%, 3.8% and 15.3%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atrial fibrillation during dobutamine stress echocardiography is not common, the risk of developing atrial fibrillation during dobutamine stress echocardiography can be predicted by using a simple risk score system comprised of clinical, electrocardiographic and rest echocardiographic variables, which may be of help when planning a dobutamine stress echocardiography test in selected cases.
authors.affiliation: The Heart Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel AVIV, Israel.
authors.forename: Shemy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carasso
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandach
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuperstein
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schwammenthal
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glikson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luria
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guetta
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shechter
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eldar
authors.forename: Micha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Feinberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004280:Dobutamine