Single-stage adenosine tilt testing in patients with unexplained syncope. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • INTRODUCTION: We previously have shown that a 3-minute single-stage adenosine tilt test has a diagnostic yield comparable to a two-stage protocol consisting of a 30-minute drug-free tilt followed by a 15-minute isoproterenol tilt. In this study, we sought to further define the clinical utility of adenosine tilt testing in patients with unexplained syncope by prospectively evaluating test specificity and determining predictors of a positive test response. METHODS AND RESULTS: The specificity of single-stage adenosine tilt testing was determined using 30 control subjects. To determine the diagnostic yield of this protocol, adenosine tilts were performed in 129 patients with unexplained syncope. The adenosine tilt test protocol had high specificity (100%) but a low overall diagnostic yield (18%). However, the yield was affected significantly by age. In patients /=65 years of age (2/41 patients [5%], P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: These data support single-stage adenosine tilt testing in patients 40 years of age is low, suggesting that the clinical utility of this protocol is limited in these patients.

publication date

  • June 1, 2004

Research

keywords

  • Adenosine
  • Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
  • Syncope
  • Tilt-Table Test

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 2942622381

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1046/j.1540-8167.2004.03556.x

PubMed ID

  • 15175056

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 15

issue

  • 6