Can a simple breathing trick outperform the standard heart maneuver?
NCT ID NCT07785466
First seen Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a new physical technique, the reverse vagal maneuver, can restore normal heart rhythm in adults with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) more effectively than the standard modified Valsalva maneuver. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two maneuvers, which involve specific breathing and body positions. The goal is to see which approach more often converts the rapid heartbeat to normal without needing rescue medication or electrical shock.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Two physical techniques: the reverse vagal maneuver and the modified Valsalva maneuver
- What this could lead to
- If effective, the reverse vagal maneuver could offer a simpler, drug-free way to stop rapid heartbeats in the emergency room, potentially reducing reliance on medications or shocks.
- What could go wrong
- This is a randomized trial, but results may vary by individual. The maneuvers may not work for everyone, and some people may still need rescue treatment. The study is not blinded, which could introduce bias.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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142 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2024
- Finished
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Aug 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 100 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * Presentation to the emergency department with symptoms consistent with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) * Electrocardiogram-confirmed PSVT, defined as a regular narrow-complex tachycardia with a heart rate of 135 to 250 beats per minute and no clearly visible P waves * Hemodynamically stable at enrollment, as determined by the treating emergency physician * No acute antiarrhythmic medication received for the index episode before enrollment * No electrical therapy received for the index episode before enrollment Exclusion Criteria: * Systolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg * Shock * Evidence of hypoperfusion * Altered mental status attributable to tachycardia * Ischemic chest discomfort attributable to tachycardia * Syncope attributable to tachycardia * Acute heart failure attributable to tachycardia * Pulmonary edema attributable to tachycardia * Need for immediate cardioversion * Need for another urgent treatment * Inability to perform a vagal maneuver * Pregnancy * Body weight greater than 130 kg * Comorbidity making performance of a vagal maneuver unsafe * Previous operation making performance of a vagal maneuver unsafe * Prior familiarity with either study maneuver together with the ability to self-perform it * Reported acute use of a nonprescribed drug expected to affect heart rate or rhythm * Reported acute use of a stimulant expected to affect heart rate or rhythm * Reported acute exposure to another substance expected to affect heart rate or rhythm * Reported recent consumption of a food expected to affect heart rate or rhythm * Inability to provide informed consent * Spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm before the study intervention
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Düzce University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine
Düzce, 81620, Turkey (Türkiye)