Dobutamine echocardiography for determining myocardial viability after reperfusion: experimental and clinical observations.

Dobutamine echocardiography is being used increasingly to assess the presence of viable myocardium after reperfusion therapy in patients with myocardial infarction. This review places emphasis on results of experimental and pertinent clinical studies in order to provide an understanding of the physiologic basis for using this modality for detecting viable myocardium. It is hoped that an understanding of these principles will allow a more meaningful interpretation of test results in different clinical situations.