Efficacy and economic benefits of a modified Valsalva maneuver in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia

BACKGROUND A modified Valsalva maneuver (VM) has been suggested to be superior to the standard VM for conversion of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). AIM To evaluate the efficacy and economic benefits of a modified VM in Chinese patients. METHODS Patients with PSVT admitted to our center between October 2017 and September 2019 were randomly assigned to the modified and standard VM groups. Conversion via VM was performed up to three times. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of PSVT conversion to sinus rhythm. The secondary outcomes included the incidence of adverse events, economic cost during the visit, and the degree of patient acceptance of the treatment. RESULTS Overall, 361 patients were enrolled, with 180 allocated to the modified VM group and 181 to the standard VM group. Baseline characteristics were well matched in the groups. Overall, the modified VM group had higher success rates of PSVT conversion after single (47.78% vs 15.38%, P < 0.001) and multiple (62.22% vs 19.78%, P < 0.001) VM sessions. No significant differences in the incidences of adverse events and rates of patient acceptance were detected between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Moreover, the economic cost of the clinic visit was significantly lower for the modified VM group than for the standard VM group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The modified VM may confer both therapeutic and economic benefits as compared with the standard VM for conversion of PSVT.