The tilt test, also known as the tilt test or postural stress test, is a complementary, non-invasive test performed to investigate episodes of syncope, which occur when a person passes out and has a sudden or transient loss of consciousness.
This test is usually performed in a laboratory of electrophysiology of a hospital or clinic and should be performed with the accompaniment of a cardiologist and a technical nurse and for this, the person must be fasting for at least 4 hours, to avoid discomfort and nausea during after the test, it is recommended to rest and avoid driving for at least 2 hours.
- This is an examination indicated by a cardiologist to complete the diagnosis of certain diseases and conditions such as:.
Vasovagal syncope is often the leading cause of fainting in people without heart problems and can be triggered by a change in body position, which is why the tilt test is the main test to identify this condition. Understand what vasovagal syncope is and how to treat it.
In addition, the doctor may order other tests to rule out other conditions, such as problems with the heart valves, for example, and blood tests, EKG, echocardiogram, 24-hour Holter, or ABPM may be indicated. .
To perform the tilt test, it is important that the person fully fasts, even without drinking water, for at least 4 hours, because as changes are made to the position of the stretcher, the person may experience nausea and discomfort if they have a full stomach It is also recommended that the person go to the bathroom before the test , so that it is not interrupted in half.
Before starting the exam, the doctor may ask what medications the person is using on a daily basis and will also ask about the appearance of symptoms and if there is a situation where symptoms are getting worse.
The tilt test is performed in an electrophysiology laboratory in a hospital or clinic and should be performed under the supervision of a cardiologist and a nurse or nursing technician.
The total duration of the examination is approximately 45 minutes and it takes place in two different phases, the first of which consists of lying down on a table, attached to belts, and the nurse changes the position of the table by tilting it at the same time as the devices. placed on the chest and arm measure blood pressure and blood rate to check for changes during the test.
In the second part, the nurse proposes a medicine to put under the tongue, called isosorbide dinitrate, in very small doses, in order to observe how the body reacts to the medicine, if blood pressure and heart rate change a lot, at this stage the nurse also changes the position of the stretcher.
This medicine used in the tilt test acts like adrenaline and as a result, the person may experience a little anxiety or the same when doing physical activity. If the blood pressure drops too low or the person is very sick, the doctor may stop the treatment. test, so it’s important to communicate how you feel.
After the tilt test, the person may feel tired and a little sick, so they must lie down for 30 minutes to be observed by the nurse or nursing technician.
After this period, the person is free to resume their normal activities, however, it is recommended to avoid driving for at least 2 hours. If the person has discomfort, very low blood pressure, or fainted during the exam, they may need to spend more time in the care of the doctor and nurse.
The test result usually takes up to 5 days and is considered negative if there has not been much change in blood pressure when changing the position of the table, but a positive result means that the blood pressure changed a lot during the test.
The tilt test is not indicated for pregnant women, people with narrowing or obstruction of the carotid or aortic artery, or with orthopedic changes that prevent the person from standing up. In addition, people who have had a stroke should receive special attention during the test.