tilt-table test

tilt-table test A test that involves placing a patient on a table with a foot-support, tilting the table upward, and measuring the blood pressure and pulse. Symptoms are recorded with the patient in diverse positions. The tilt-table test is designed to detect postural hypotension (orthostatic hypotension), a condition caused by changing body position from a prone, supine, or sitting position to a more vertical position. Poor tone of the nerves of the legs can cause a disproportionate distribution of blood to the legs, instead of to the brain, so the patient feels lightheaded and may even faint. See also syncope; syncope, situational; vasovagal reaction.