Published online January 15, 2007
PEDIATRICS Vol. 119 No. 2 February 2007, pp. e419-e425 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1862)
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ARTICLE

Provocation of Neurocardiogenic Syncope During Head-up Tilt Testing in Children: Comparison Between Isoproterenol and Nitroglycerin

Antonios P. Vlahos, MDa, Meropi Tzoufi, MDa, Christos S. Katsouras, MDb, Theodora Barka, RNb, Irene Sionti, MDc, Lampros K. Michalis, MDb, Antigoni Siamopoulou, MDa and Theofilos M. Kolettis, MDb

a Departments of Child Health
b Cardiology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
c Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

OBJECTIVE. Although nitroglycerin- and isoproterenol-augmented tilt tests are of equal value in the diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope in adults, no data exist in children. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of the 2 tests in a pediatric population.

PATITENS AND METHODS. We studied 85 patients (33 boys; mean age: 11.6 ± 2.9 years). Of them, 56 had a diagnostic history of neurocardiogenic syncope, whereas 29 served as controls. After a negative passive phase, they were randomly assigned to either intravenous isoproterenol or sublingual nitroglycerin, and tilt was continued for 20 minutes.

RESULTS. Sensitivity was 0.78 for the isoproterenol test and 0.79 for the nitroglycerin test, but specificity was significantly higher for isoproterenol test compared with nitroglycerin test. In patients with a positive test, the duration of the recovery period was significantly longer after nitroglycerin (8.4 ± 2.7 minutes) than after isoproterenol (5.1 ± 1.6 minutes).

CONCLUSIONS. Nitroglycerin- and isoproterenol-augmented tilt tests are associated with equal sensitivity in the diagnosis of neurocardiogenic syncope in children and adolescents. However, nitroglycerin results in more false-positive tests and produces more prolonged vasovagal symptoms. Our data do not support the routine use of nitroglycerin in the evaluation of syncope in this age group.

Key Words: neurocardiogenic syncope • tilt test • children • isoproterenol • nitroglycerin

Abbreviations: CI—confidence interval

Accepted Aug 30, 2006.


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