Cardiac rupture with dobutamine stress echocardiography

Dobutamine stress echocardiography is a safe method for the evaluation of coronary artery disease, myocardial function, and viability. The potential for cardiac rupture exists. Although clinical and electrocardiographic criteria may be helpful in identifying those patients at risk for cardiac rupture, the criteria are neither sensitive nor specific enough to exclude patients or make recommendations regarding which patients should undergo dobutamine stress echocardiography in the post-infarction period. Physicians must be aware of the possibility and be prepared to treat cardiac rupture when performing dobutamine stress echocardiography.