Electrophysiology Studies
An electrophysiology study thoroughly assesses the electrical conduction system of the heart and any abnormal heartbeats. Electrophysiology studies can measure:
- How fast the electrical signals in the heart travel
- How well the electrical impulses are pacing your heart rhythm, and
- Can artificially cause abnormal heart rhythms to learn what triggers them or how they respond to particular drugs.
Such tests may be done to check how a pacemaker working, what causes abnormal heart rhythms to start, how effective certain drugs are, where a pacemaker should be implanted or whether more studies are needed.
You will be asked to lie on an X-ray table with a large X-ray camera above it and TV monitors nearby. Heart monitors and other instruments may be nearby. The staff will be wearing sterile gowns with gloves and possibly masks.
You will have cardiac catheterization so that wires can be positioned in the chambers of your heart. You may feel pressure when the catheters are inserted but you should not feel pain. It may become tiring and uncomfortable to lie in the same position so long.
Once the wires are in place, electrical signals from your heart are monitored and recorded. Your doctor may artificially increase your heart rate to cause any abnormal rhythm disturbances. Drugs may be given to you through a needle and tube inserted in your arm. The entire study takes up to three hours.
At Cedars-Sinai's Electrophysiology Laboratory, specially trained doctors conduct these tests. Electrophysiology experts read and interpret the recording of the heart's action and provide a full report to the patient's doctor. The heart specialist can then use this information in planning the best treatment plan.
The For Patients section has instructions for preparing for cardiac catheterization, angiography and electrophysiology studies.
Tilt-Table Studies
A tilt-table study is used to check for changes in heart rate and blood pressure when your body's position is changed. This test is most commonly done when a person has periods of losing consciousness or nearly fainting.
When the table is upright, blood collects in the legs and lower part of the body. Less blood returns to the heart to be pumped. This may cause the blood pressure to drop. Normally the nerves that control the heart and blood vessels keep your blood pressure at a steady level. A tilt table study will show the heart slowing as the blood pressure falls.
A nurse prepares you before the procedure by inserting an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. He or she will also connect you to an electrocardiogram and a blood pressure cuff.
At first, you will be lying flat for 20 to 30 minutes. Then, the tilt bed will be changed to a nearly vertical (80 degrees) position for 30 to 45 minutes. In this position, you might feel lightheaded, dizzy or as if you might faint. It is important that you tell the doctor or nurse of any symptoms you may be feeling. Finally, the tilt bed will be put in a horizontal position and you will be observed for another 20 to 30 minutes.
You may also be given a drug to increase you heart rate through your IV as part of this test. The drug may make your heart feel like it is pounding. The doctor will decide if this is needed at the time of the study. During this portion of the test, your position will be changed from vertical to flat several times. Depending on your body's response, the test may last up to three hours.
The For Patients section has specific instructions for preparing for a stress test.
