DSE

Medical abbreviation · Cardiology

DSE stands for Dobutamine stress echocardiogram, a cardiology abbreviation.

Stress test for people who cannot exercise, in which dobutamine is infused in increasing doses to raise heart rate and contractility while ultrasound images look for new wall-motion abnormalities that signal ischemia. Low-dose protocols also assess muscle viability and true severity in low-gradient aortic stenosis.

Example: Unable to walk on the treadmill due to knee arthritis; DSE ordered to evaluate exertional dyspnea.

Usage notes

Atropine may be added if the target heart rate, 85 percent of the age-predicted maximum, is not reached. Side effects include palpitations, arrhythmias and blood pressure changes, which resolve quickly when the infusion stops. Exercise stress echo is preferred when possible because exercise capacity itself carries prognostic information.

Related abbreviations

More cardiology abbreviations

• D2B – Door-to-balloon time
• DAPT – Dual antiplatelet therapy
• DBP – Diastolic blood pressure
• DCCV – Direct current cardioversion
• DCM – Dilated cardiomyopathy
• DES – Drug-eluting stent
• DVT – Deep vein thrombosis
• ECG – Electrocardiogram
• echo – Echocardiogram
• ECMO – Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
• EF – Ejection fraction
• EKG – Electrocardiogram

See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.