Cardiac Stress Test - Contraindications

Contraindications

Stress cardiac imaging is not recommended for asymoptomatic, low-risk patients as part of their routine care. Some estimates show that such screening accounts for 45% of cardiac stress imaging, and evidence does not show that this results in better outcomes for patients. Unless high-risk markers are present, such as diabetes in patients aged over 40, peripheral arterial disease; or a risk of coronary heart disease greater than 2 percent yearly, most health societies do not recommend the test as a routine procedure.

Absolute contraindications to cardiac stress test include:

• Acute myocardial infarction within 48 hours
• Unstable angina not yet stabilized with medical therapy
• Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, which may have significant hemodynamic responses (e.g. ventricular tachycardia)
• Severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism, and pericarditis
• Multivessel coronary artery diseases that have a high risk of producing an acute myocardial infarction