Health Resource Center
Tilt Table Testing
Aug 21st 2008
Tilt
table testing is a means for diagnosing a common form of fainting called
neurocardiovascular syncope.
If your doctor recommends tilt table testing, this will be performed in the
hospital as an outpatient procedure. Patients are asked to lay on a table in a
quiet room, during which time their blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen in
the blood stream will be measured. After a period of rest, the table is then
elevated such that the patient is standing nearly upright. From this point
forward, the patient is merely observed for a period of time with continuous
monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure. Many patients vulnerable to
fainting will experience an episode while on the tilt table and this can be
observed in a carefully controlled setting, allowing the physician to carefully
determine the cause for fainting. In some cases, a medication will be
administered to help bring out the cause of fainting during the tilt table
test. Tilt table testing is a safe and well-tolerated procedure that gives
valuable diagnostic information to the physician. The duration of the test is variable
but can last for as little as a few minutes or as long as two hours. Following
the tilt table test, the managing electrophysiologist
will be able to make diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations to the patient
and their referring physician.