The clinical use of stress echocardiography in chronic coronary syndromes and beyond coronary artery disease: a clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging of the ESC
Recommendations
As issued by the authors
ABCDE protocol: A regional wall motion abnormality (main step; regional perfusion with ultrasound-contrast agents may be assessed); B diastolic function and pulmonary B-lines; C LV contractile and preload reserve by volumetric echocardiography; D Doppler-based coronary flow velocity reserve in the left anterior descending artery; E ECG-based heart rate reserve (non-imaging)
The five ABCDE biomarkers allow comprehensive risk stratification of the vulnerable patient with chronic coronary syndromes
Ultrasound-contrast agents and refined imaging technology improve image quality, feasibility and reader accuracy for wall motion, perfusion, LV volumes and coronary flow velocity
Carotid imaging detects pre-obstructive atherosclerosis and improves risk prediction similarly to coronary atherosclerosis
Artificial intelligence makes stress echo more operator-independent and objective
Stress echo has low cost, versatility and universal availability, needs no ionizing radiation and has near-zero carbon dioxide emissions
Original publication
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