Reproducibility of the head-up tilt test results in children with vasovagal syncope.
BACKGROUND
This prospective study aims to investigate the reproducibility of HUTT results in children with typical history of vasovagal syncope.


METHODS
Between October 1996 and October 1999, 58 children with a history of typical vasovagal syncope attacks were evaluated with head up tilt test (HUTT). The table was tilted to 60 degrees and the patients were monitored for heart rate and blood pressure changes during 45 min. No provocative agents were used. The test was repeated a week later at a similar setting.


RESULTS
Of 58 patients, 39 had positive and 19 had negative response during the initial test. During the second test, the positive response was reproduced in 29 cases (50%), and the negative response was reproduced in 16 cases (28%). Ten patients (17%) with an initial positive test had a negative second test. A negative test became positive only in three patients (5%). There were 12 vasodepressor, four cardioinhibitor and 23 mixed responses among the initial tests. Only in four patients did the type of the response change from vasodepressor to a mixed type during the second test. The reproducibility of a positive tilt test was 74.4% (29/39), the negative tilt test was 84.2% (16/19), and the overall reproducibility of the HUTT was 77.6% (45/58).


CONCLUSIONS
Unprovoked HUTT in children is reproducible when repeated on different days and similar settings and the results are comparable to the ones with adult patients.
Alehan
Dursun
D
Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Hacettepe University, Ihsan Doğramaci Children's Hospital, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
Uner
Abdurrahman
A
Ayabakan
Canan
C
Ozer
Sema
S
Ozme
Sencan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018667:Tilt-Table Test; D013997:Time Factors