Pharmacologic Stress Echocardiogram

Possible side effects: “dry mouth, sedation, blurred vision (disturbance of accommodation, increased intra-ocular pressure), constipation, nausea, difficulty with micturition; cardiovascular side-effects (such as ECG changes, arrhythmias, postural hypotension, tachycardia, syncope, particularly with high doses); sweating, tremor, rashes and hypersensitivity reactions (including urticaria, photosensitivity), behavioural disturbances (particularly children), hypomania or mania, confusion or delirium (particularly elderly), headache, interference with sexual function, blood sugar changes; increased appetite and weight gain (occasionally weight loss); endocrine side-effects such as testicular enlargement, gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea; also convulsions (see also Cautions), movement disorders and dyskinesias, dysarthria, paraesthesia, taste disturbances, tinnitus, fever, agranulocytosis, leucopenia, eosinophilia, purpura, thrombocytopenia, hyponatraemia

|Required: |Heart |The heart and circulatory system | Coronary artery disease (narrowing of the |

• Do not eat or drink anything for at least 8 hours before the procedure.

Short-term effects are increased respiration, rapid heart rate, decreased appetite, increased physical activity, irregular heartbeat, increased body temperature, and increased blood pressure (www.drugabuse.gov). The long-term effects include: skin sores, extreme weight loss, and severe dental problems, as well as higher risk of contracting infectious diseases (www.drugabuse.gov).

The most common side effects include bleeding gums, diarrhea, constant chills, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual weight gain or loss, and tingling hands. More serious side effects include delusions ("beliefs that are not true" dictionary.com), back or side pain, abnormal dreams, change of personality, lip smacking, irritability, and vomiting. The drug can also cause anxiety, rapidly changing moods, and hyperventilation. Less common side effects include small red- purple dots on the skin, yellow eyes, swollen joints, hair thinning, and excessive urination. Other less common side effects are puffy cheeks, loss of strength, loss of bladder control, and dizziness.

Its most common side effects include decreased heart beats, fatigue, cold and clammy skin, sexual dysfunction, and difficulty in breathing especially in patients suffering from bronchial asthma.

You may not be allowed to drink heavy liquids for 1–3 days before the procedure.

Some Side effects include Gingival Hyperplasia = overgrowth of the gums - good oral hygiene a must! Long term use may elevate blood sugars, blurred vision or increase eye movement. Toxicity associated with the intravenous use of this drug are cardiovascular collapse and/or central nervous system depression. There are a lot of drug interactions that need to be monitored.

• All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.

Do not eat or drink anything for 6–8 hours before the procedure or as directed by your caregiver.

An echocardiogram is a diagnostic test that is performed to provide a graphic outline of how the heart is moving. This is categorized as an Ultrasound. It Utilizes high-frequency sound waves and it can engender pictures of the heart's chambers and valves. This gives the technician the ability to view how well the heart is pumping. This test is performed for many reasons such as, determining how well the heart is functioning; But, mainly to probe for several variants of heart diseases. Also, this test can prove how efficacious surgical and medical treatments can become consistent; visually examining how heart valve disease is progressing over time. An echocardiogram can take about 30 minutes to an hour to consummate. Patients should not experience

On the day of surgery, avoid eating or drinking anything six to 12 hours before the operation. Just take a small sip of water to ingest any medication you are asked to take. Go to the hospital early so you will arrive on time for your surgery.

• All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.

Adverse reactions to this medication are migraine, speech disorders, rhinitis, sinusitis, hyperglycemia, elevated liver function, elevated serum creatinine level, pancytopenia, bronchitis, dyspnea, toxic epidermal necrolysis, anaphylaxis, elevated creatine kinase, generalized pain, and infection. Nursing considerations with this medication is to have the patient swallow the whole tablet and not to chew. Watch for aspiration while watching the patient take the medication. Educate the patient about the medication and inform them to notify a physician if bleeding

The electrocardiogram (EKG) is a simple test that measures the heart's electrical activity (Donahue p. 35). The most widely used screening test is the exercise EKG, or stress test.