The Effectiveness of Physical Maneuvers in the Conversion of Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia on the Example of the Valsalva’s Maneuver

Abstract

The Valsalva maneuver (VM) is one of the physical maneuvers used by medical personnel. In emergency medicine, it is known primarily for its use as a non-pharmacological method of restoring sinus rhythm possible to perform in almost every patient, and side effects are noticed incidentally. A distinction is made between the classic and the modified Valsalva tests. Multiple studies confirm its use and effectiveness in cases of supraventricular tachycardia episodes in hemodynamically stable patients. The VM allows to determine heart failure by showing abnormal rise of blood pressure as a response to the Valsalva test and thus suggests impaired ventricular function. This maneuver lowers the preload and thus the enddiastolic volume, thereby enhancing some murmurs and weakening others. As a result of phase IV of VM, clinically significant bradycardia occurs, which is used for, at least temporary, termination of supraventricular tachycardia. Based on the available literature, the effectiveness of the modified Valsalva sample was almost twice as high as that of the classical method. However, both methods are effective in the conversion of supra-ventricular tachycardia. Its implementation is relatively simple and possible to perform for almost any patient, provided that he cooperates. As majority of patients using the services of sanatoriums are people burdened with numerous diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, some of them may present with supraventricular tachycardia. Hence, it is important to know simple, safe and non-pharmacological methods of stopping it, the most common of which is the Valsalva maneuver.