Which of the following imaging techniques can be used to assess ischemia in heart failure?

Stress echocardiography is an effective imaging technique used to assess ischemia in patients with heart failure because it evaluates the heart's function under stress, simulating the conditions under which ischemia might occur. During this test, an ultrasound image of the heart is taken while the patient is subjected to physical stress, such as exercise or pharmacological agents. This allows healthcare providers to observe how well the heart pumps and whether there are any areas of the heart that are not receiving enough blood flow due to ischemia.

Unlike other imaging modalities, stress echocardiography specifically focuses on the heart's response to increased workload, making it particularly useful in identifying regions of the heart that may be compromised due to ischemia. The information obtained can guide treatment decisions and interventions for patients with heart failure.

Other options do not directly assess ischemia in the same way. For example, a CT scan of the abdomen is focused on abdominal structures rather than cardiac function. An electrocardiogram, while valuable for assessing electrical activity of the heart, does not provide direct images of the heart’s structure or its response to stress. Similarly, a chest X-ray mainly assesses the size and shape of the heart and the presence of fluid or other abnormalities but does not functionally