adenosine stress test
Pronunciation: ah-DEN-oh-seen
Pharmacologic cardiac stress test using adenosine to induce coronary vasodilation for perfusion assessment.
Full Definition
An adenosine stress test is a pharmacologic cardiac stress procedure that uses intravenous adenosine to create maximal coronary vasodilation for myocardial perfusion imaging. Adenosine acts on A2A receptors to cause coronary vasodilation, creating a flow differential between normal and stenotic coronary arteries. The drug is administered as a continuous infusion over 6 minutes, with radiotracer injection at 3 minutes. Common side effects include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and AV block, which typically resolve quickly due to adenosine's short half-life. This test is preferred in patients unable to exercise adequately or those with left bundle branch block.
Usage
Usage note: Lowercase adenosine unless starting a sentence; specify dosage when clinically relevant.
In Context
- "The adenosine stress test was well-tolerated with only mild transient chest discomfort." — Nuclear stress test report
- "Contraindications to adenosine stress testing include severe asthma and high-grade AV block." — Pre-test screening protocol