Before the Test
- Do not eat any food or drink any fluids after midnight the day before your test.
- Ask your physician or us if you should take your medications as usual prior to the test.
During the Test
- You will be asked to change into a hospital gown.
- If you are a woman of childbearing age, a urine pregnancy test will be performed.
- You will be lying comfortably on your back in a specialized tilting bed.
- An intravenous catheter will be placed in your forearm and ECG stickers will be placed on your chest. In addition, a blood pressure cuff will be placed on your arm and wrist.
- A physician will discuss the details of the test with you.
- You will be asked to sign a consent form.
- In the initial portion of the test, a doctor or nurse will apply pressure over the carotid artery in the neck and watch for changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
- The bed then is tilted to a position of 60 degrees, which is almost upright. Pressure is again applied to the right and then left carotid artery.
- You will be observed in the 60 degree tilt position, and your blood pressure and heart rate will be monitored. During this period, you may be given medication through the intravenous catheter. A physician will discuss the details of the medication(s) with you prior to the test.
- If you experience fainting at any point during the TTT, the table will be returned to a flat position, and the test will be over.
After the Test
- We will discuss the results of your test with you and your physician immediately following the test.
- You may feel weak and tired following the test, so do not schedule a heavy day at work.
- You may eat immediately following the test.
Contact
Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory
Starr 4, Cardiovascular Center
520 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 746-2158, (212) 746-2655, (212) 746-2169
Fax: (212) 746-6951
