Tilt Table Protocol For Physical Therapy

A tilt table test is used to evaluate the cause of unexplained fainting.

Tilt table protocol for physical therapy.

Some tilt tables are designed to tilt a few degrees below horizontal while others go from a 90 degree angle to a completely flat 180 degree horizontal position. In a tilt table test you lie on a table that adjusts your body position from horizontal to vertical to simulate standing up. The supine position is again assumed for five minutes re equilibration. Introduction a padded table with a top capable of being rotated on its transverse axis so that a patient lying on it can be brought into the erect position.

Isoprenaline is then infused at a rate of 1 μg min for five minutes supine then five minutes at 70 tilt. The patient remains supine for 20 minutes and is then tilted to 70 for five minutes. Initially used as a diagnostic tools tilt table test for assessment of syncope. To use a tilt table the patient lies on top of the table on her back.

The physical therapist secures the safety straps around the patient then slowly elevates the table putting the patient into a standing position and monitoring her blood pressure and heart rate throughout the treatment. However with repeated use improvement in upright tolerance was observed. The protocol involved a stepwise process to gradually raise the subject into a standing position on the tilt table platform at 10 intervals from 60 to 90.