How to Do Carotid Sinus Massage

Cardiac emergencies are never limited only to the ischemias or in other words myocardial infacts, but they also have distinct kinds of rhythmic irregularities like atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia. The crisis service team or for that matter anyone who has learnt some techniques can contribute a first relief from the ill symptoms by doing something called as carotid sinus massage, which is also used as a diagnostic tool. In this article, we will try to discuss the assorted features of the same.

The procedure involves rubbing the large part of the arterial wall of tasteless carotid artery, at the point where it divides into its two main branches, in the neck area. Sinus here means an area situated in the blood vessel, that is the bigger than the rest of the vessel, something like a balloon. This is a natural and general dilatation of this blood vessel, placed in the neck just below the angle of the jaw. If one rubs this area it in turn stimulates the area in the arterial wall rich with nerve endings. This nerve stimulation responds to the changes in the blood pressure and the heart rate can slow down as a result. Thus it is used to ease the symptoms of atrial flutter or tachycardia, where the rhythm goes for a toss in a rapid succession. It is believed to stop the arrhythmia completely. It is also known to relive the ache of angina pectoris.

To give the carotid sinus massage, the outpatient is asked to lie down with his neck fully extended and the head turned to the other side to expose the neck area completely. This procedure is always done under a heart monitoring though electrocardiographic monitoring device. The carotid sinus is touched moderately and massaged to see either there is any change in the electrical action of the heart. If none, the pressure is increased more firmly with gentle rotating motion. The procedure is repeated on the other side as well, but never on both sides at the same time. The procedure does not require any preparing nor does it require any after-care.

Though it does not require any preparing on the patient's part, the physician who is performing the procedure should be sure that there is no evidence of carotid arterial blockage. If there is, it would make the outpatient prone to getting a clot dislodged causing a stroke due to blocking some important blood vessel supplying the brain.

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