Document Detail


Usefulness of head-up tilt test in evaluating patients with syncope of unknown origin and negative electrophysiologic study.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  1971497     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The vasovagal nature of syncope, which remained unexplained despite full clinical and electrophysiologic investigation, was evaluated by means of 60 degrees head-up tilt test for 60 minutes. Thirty patients (17 men and 13 women, mean age 65 years, 19 with and 11 without organic heart disease) with 1 to 28 (mean 5) episodes of syncope of unknown origin were studied. Head-up tilt test was considered positive if syncope developed in association with hypotension, bradycardia, or both. During baseline head-up tilt 15 patients (50%) had a positive response. Ten patients had a vasodepressor response (marked hypotension without marked bradycardia) and 5 had a mixed response (marked hypotension with marked bradycardia). None of 8 control subjects became symptomatic during the test. Baseline head-up tilt test was positively reproducible in 10 of 14 patients (71%). Nine of these 10 patients underwent serial head-up tilt tests after drug administration to determine the pathogenesis of vasovagal syncope. Atropine prevented tilt-induced syncope in 3 of 8 patients (37.5%), propranolol in 2 of 8 (25%) and etilephrine in 7 of 7 (100%). Seven patients received long-term drug treatment with drugs selected on the basis of acute drug testing. One responder to atropine received transdermal scopolamine and 6 received etilephrine. None of these 7 patients had syncopal recurrences or death during a mean follow-up of 12 months. Head-up tilt is a very sensitive and highly specific test to unmask susceptibility to vasovagal reaction in patients with syncope of unknown origin. Withdrawal of alpha-sympathetic stimulation is a principal mechanism responsible for vasodilation and syncope during head-up tilt.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Authors:
A Raviele; G Gasparini; F Di Pede; P Delise; A Bonso; E Piccolo
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The American journal of cardiology     Volume:  65     ISSN:  0002-9149     ISO Abbreviation:  Am. J. Cardiol.     Publication Date:  1990 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1990-06-25     Completed Date:  1990-06-25     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0207277     Medline TA:  Am J Cardiol     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1322-7     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM; S    
Affiliation:
Division of Cardiology, Umberto I Hospital, Mestre, Venice, Italy.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / therapeutic use
Aged
Atropine / therapeutic use
Bradycardia / etiology*
Electrocardiography
Electrophysiology
Female
Heart / physiopathology*
Humans
Hypotension, Orthostatic / etiology*
Male
Posture*
Propranolol / therapeutic use
Syncope / etiology*,  prevention & control
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; 51-55-8/Atropine; 525-66-6/Propranolol

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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