The patient will be asked to lie down, with the neck fully extended and the head turned away from the side being massaged.
Before performing a carotid sinus massage, it is important to obtain a thorough medical history to ensure the safety of the procedure. Aftercare involves monitoring the patient for any adverse reactions, such as dizziness or lightheadedness, and providing a comfortable environment for rest and recovery. It is recommended to instruct the patient to report any unusual symptoms following the massage.
If the procedure is being done to help diagnose angina pectoris, massaging the carotid sinus may make the discomfort go away.
Rubbing the carotid sinus stimulates an area in the artery wall that contains nerve endings. These nerves respond to changes in blood pressure and are capable of slowing the heart rate.
Carotid sinus massage will slow the heart rate during episodes of atrial flutter, fibrillation, and some tachycardias. It has been known to stop the arrhythmia completely.
While watching an electrocardiogram monitor, the doctor will gently touch the carotid sinus. If there is no change in the heart rate on the monitor, the pressure is applied more firmly with a gentle rotating motion.
The physician must be sure there is no evidence of blockage in the carotid artery before performing the procedure. Massage in a blocked area might cause a clot to break loose and cause a stroke.
There are people who say sinus doctor when they see a doctor treating a sinus patient, but I wouldn't say a sinus doctor, because a doctor who treat sinus patients also treat general ear, nose, and throat problems.Allergy doctors called as an allergist or an immunologist; these doctors can treat a sinus patient too.
The response to this simple procedure often slows a rapid heart rate (for example, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia) and can provide important diagnostic information to the physician.
After massaging one side of the neck, the massage will be repeated on the other side. Both sides of the neck are never massaged at the same time.
McGood, Michael D., editor. Mayo Clinic Heart Book: The Ultimate Guide to Heart Health. New York: William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1993.
A pilonidal sinus is a dimple that appears in the mid-line cleft at the level of the coccyx and is seen relatively frequently in infants. Overall, there is no evidence that a little pilonidal sinus provokes any problems for a young patient.
Sinus activiy is really not recorded on the ECG(EKG) only the atria's response to it. Hence, Sinus Arrest and Sinus Exit Block are determined on the basis of what we can see. The absense of the P wave and it's recurance at the next expected intereval is considered a Sinus Exit Block; meaning the sinus node did its job, but the impluse was blocked form the rest of the atria. The mechanism of such blocking is not fully understood at this point In sinus arrest the the pause is not accurate to the next expected cardiac cycle thus is considered a sinus arrest - meaning that something stopped the sinus node activity for a time (usually just seconds). Of the two Sinus Exit Block carries the least risk of symptoms for the patient.