Tilt Table Testing

Fainting, or as commonly known "syncope," is a condition that most people experience sometime in their lives. The mechanisms leading to a fainting spell are either related to the brain or the heart. Sometimes the neurologic wiring between the brain and the heart can cause a fainting spell with misinformation being sent from the brain to the heart. To test for this condition, a tilt-table test is performed in the hospital.

The Procedure: After an overnight fast, the patient presents to the hospital and lies on a table that is capable of tilting 90 degrees. The patient is comfortably fastened to the table the heart rate and the blood pressure are monitored. The table is tilted upright at 80 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes. The physician observes the heart rate and blood pressure while the patient is on the tilt-table. If the patient feels dizziness or a sensation of fainting occurs, the test is completed and the patient is placed flat. A second part of the study is sometimes performed where an adrenaline-type medicine is infused into the IV. Again, the patient blood pressure and heart rate are monitored while the patient is tilted to 80 degrees. If dizziness or fainting occurs, the test is also completed. The patient always will go home after the test and it does not require an overnight stay at the hospital.

This commonly used, noninvasive test is very helpful for patients who have fainting or syncope. The information it gathers can be used to allow your referring physician or cardiologist properly select the correct therapy: sometimes no treatment is required, in certain cases specific medications can reduce or even eliminate the passing-out episodes, and, rarely, the implantation of a special pacemaker is required.