Valsalva maneuver techniques for supraventricular tachycardias: Which and how?

Study objective: While some research has been done on Valsalva maneuvers in treating supraventricular tachycardia, there is no standardized algorithm on which technique has been the most effective for the termination of supraventricular tachycardias. In this study, we compare different Valsalva maneuver techniques in order to determine the exact technique needed for maximal vagal response. Methods: This was a repeated measures clinical study, which enlisted a sample of healthy adult volunteers. Participants performed four different Valsalva maneuver techniques (40 mm Hg—10 s, 40 mm Hg—15 s, 50 mm Hg—10 s, and 50 mm Hg—15 s) while lying in a supine position. The maneuvers were repeated three times. An electrocardiography printout was obtained during each trial, and heart rate differences between pre-maneuver and post-maneuver were measured. Results: Among the 97 volunteers who participated in the study, 7 were excluded because the target Valsalva maneuver pressures were not reached, and 1 volunteer was excluded due to T-wave inversion that developed after Valsalva maneuver. We enrolled 89 participants. There was no significant difference in the heart rate decrease among the four techniques. In addition, there was no difference between the vagal responses in terms of age, gender, and body mass index. Conclusion: This study shows that the four different Valsalva maneuver techniques were not superior to one another in terms of decreased heart rate.