OUTPATIENT PROCEDURE INFORMATION: HEAD UP TILT TEST (HUTT)

Purpose of the Test

The purpose of the HUTT is to find out if your fainting near-fainting spells may have been caused by a drop in your blood pressure rather than because of a heart rhythm problem or seizure. Dropping blood pressure is the cause of ordinary fainting. The HUTT can help re-create the situation that your body experiences when an ordinary faint occurs.

Rarely, when your blood pressure falls during a faint, your heart rate can also fall. Sometimes the drop in heart rate is so dramatic that your heartbeat may actually stop for several seconds. This type of test result may suggest that a permanent pacemaker may be recommended as part of the treatment.

What You Should Expect During the Test

You will be placed on a special table capable of being tilted up to a 60-70 degree angle in the upright position, almost as though you were standing. To keep you securely in place, several straps will be firmly applied around your chest, hips and knees. In order to watch blood pressure behavior closely, your doctor will place a small, short tube (catheter) into the artery of the groin after it has been numbed. Once the catheter is secured in place, the table will be tilted into the upright position for a maximum of twenty minutes. If your blood pressure begins to fall, the table will be brought back to the horizontal position.