Key result
Brief hyperventilation in 350 normal adults initiated a vagal reflex resulting in T-wave inversion, suggesting isolated T-wave inversion should not be a criterion for a positive exercise test.
Why the study?
Does brief hyperventilation cause precordial T-wave inversion in normal adults?
Observational (n=350)
Does brief hyperventilation cause precordial T-wave inversion in normal adults?
Brief hyperventilation can cause benign T-wave inversions in normal adults, indicating that isolated T-wave inversion should not be used as a sole criterion for a positive exercise test.
Isolated T-wave inversion on exercise ECG may reflect hyperventilation; leaves open whether revised criteria improve specificity in clinical practice.
The effect of brief hyperventilation on the precordial T waves of 350 normal adults is described. Evidence is presented that brief hyperventilation initiates a vagal reflex which results in the T-wave inversion. Supportive data are also given to exclude respiratory alkalosis as a possible mechanism. Caution is advised in interpreting isolated T-wave inversions as indicative of organic heart disease. It is proposed that isolated T-wave inversion be deleted as a criterion for a "positive" exercise test.
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Wasserburger et al. (1956) conducted an observational in Normal adults (n=350). Brief hyperventilation was evaluated on Precordial T-wave inversion. Brief hyperventilation in 350 normal adults initiated a vagal reflex resulting in T-wave inversion, suggesting isolated T-wave inversion should not be a criterion for a positive exercise test.
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