Updated Article Library!

LIBRARY: Articles For A Doctor/ER Visit

I have found that many of my local doctors have very little (if any) knowledge about POTS and Dysautonomia.  I usually try and bring at least one journal article with me to give them, and I stress that these are peer reviewed journal articles, not just random stuff from Google or Wikipedia.  They are research studies published in medical journals, and should give you credibility in the doctor's eyes, and if you are lucky, won't bruise their ego :) 

I have categorized them by issues common to POTS sufferers when trying to obtain treatment from both general practitioner doctors, specialists unfamiliar with POTS, and ER doctors.  Most are full text - but some are only abstracts, your doctor should be able to use it to look up the full article if they feel it's relevant.  It is a starting point - I DID NOT CITE THESE IN PROPER SCIENTIFIC CITATION FORM INTENTIONALLY.  Hopefully they are more accessible this way and you can pick and choose which one's you need. You may want to add the most relevant articles to your POTS Binder. If you have any to add or topics you'd like covered, please leave a comment or contact me. 


General POTS Info/Treatment:

1.  The Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Pathophysiology, Diagnosis & Management (this in my opinion is by far the best synopsis of POTS for any unfamiliar doctor, and the complete article is free) by Satish R Raj, MD MSCI, Autonomic Dysfunction Center, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Departments of Medicine & Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

2.  Orthostatic Intolerance (an AMAZING guide to all the forms of OI, including POTS, NCS, etc...) Dr. Stewart, Associate Chairman of Pediatrics, Director, Center for Hypotension, Westchester Medical Center; Professor of Pediatrics and Physiology, New York Medical College.

3.  The neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome . Robertson D., Jacob Recanati Autonomic Dysfunction Center and the Department of Internal Medicine C, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.

4.  Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) - NIH Autonomic Dysfuction Consortium

5.  The Postural Tachycardia Syndrome: A Concise Guide to Diagnosis and Management, by Dr. Grubb, full text awesome article via Dynakids.

6.  A Review of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome  (describes Neuropathic, Hypovolemic, and Hyperadrenergic forms of POTS, among others). Full text from the European Heart Journal.

7.  Postural tachycardia syndrome-current experience and concepts. By Mathias CJ, Low DA, Iodice V, Owens AP, Kirbis M, Grahame R. Autonomic and Neurovascular Medicine Unit, Imperial College London.

8.  Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a clinical review.  Mayo Clinic Pediatric Department review - full text.

ANXIETY AND POTS ARE NOT THE SAME THING

1.  Postural tachycardia syndrome and anxiety disorders 

(Write up by Dr. Svetlana Blitshteyn, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology) 

2.  Psychiatric profile and attention deficits in postural tachycardia syndrome. Raj V, Haman KL, Raj SR, Byrne D, Blakely RD, Bioggioni I, Robertson D, Shelton RC. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2009; 80: 339-44. 

3.  Excessive heart rate response to orthostatic stress in postural tachycardia syndrome is not caused by anxiety. Masuki S, Eisenach JH, Johnson C et al., Journal of Applied Physiology 2006; 102: 1134-42. 

4.  Experimental induction of panic-like symptoms in patients with postural tachycardia syndrome. Khurana RK. Clinical Autonomic Research 2006; 16: 371-7. 

5.  Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Low PA, Opfer-Gehrking TL, Textor SC et al.
Neurology 1995; 45: S19-S25. 

Hyperadrenergic POTS, MCAD (Mast Cell Activation Disorder/Syndrome) and Mastocytosis:

1.  Hyperadrenergic Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Mast Cell Activation Disorders
This is the go-to article if you think you may have MCAD, by Vanderbilt team, excellent guide to give to your doctor.

2.  The Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Pathophysiology, Diagnosis & Management.  Has a nice section on MCAD and the link with POTS, by Dr. Raj and Vandy team (full text). 

3. Orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia associated with norepinephrine-transporter deficiency. This is an older (2000) more clinical article, nice if you want to impress your doctor or be tested for HyperPOTS, and is full text.

4. Mast cell activation disease: a concise practical guide for diagnostic workup and therapeutic options. One of the MAIN guides for MCAD/Msstocytosis - excellent collaborative article.


5. Clinical presentation and management of patients with hyperadrenergic postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. A single center experience.  Dr. Grubb and crew, 2011Full text - great guide.


6. The WHO Classification of Mastocytosis: NOT AN ARTICLE, but a list of World Health Organization definitions to get started figuring out the confusing world of Masto disorders.

 
7.  The Driscoll Theory: The Role of ExternalCommunicating Hydrocephalus, Mast Cell Disease andCCSVI as the Cause of POTS (Postural OrthostaticTachycardia Syndrome) in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.  Describes the proposed link between EDS, MCAD, and POTS.  VERY interesting stuff, excellent explanations on the disorders.

Hypovolemia & POTS Dehydration:

1.  Hypovolemia in syncope and orthostatic intolerance role of the renin-angiotensin system.
Full text out of Vanderbilt, great explanation of low blood volume and kidney involvement, and why IVs may help. 


2.  Renin-Aldosterone Paradox and Perturbed Blood Volume Regulation Underlying Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.  A clinical study regarding blood volume and POTS by Dr. Raj out of Vanderbilt. Full text.

3. In Support of IV Therapy For POTS Patients  

***This is not a medical journal article, but references a few, and has a clearly explained, concise argument for IV therapy by POTSgrrrl

4. Effects of volume loading and pressor agents in idiopathic orthostatic tachycardia.

Earlier article, but explains why IV fluids, salt loading, and florinef are useful.


5. Blood volume perturbations in the postural tachycardia syndrome.  A clinical study of blood volume issues and POTS.


6.  Abnormalities of angiotensin regulation in postural tachycardia syndrome.
Recent (2011) article with exciting research going on showing the volume issues with POTS.
 

Anesthesia, Dentistry, and POTS:

1. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and general anesthesia: a series of 13 cases.

Mayo Clinic Review from 2011. 

2.  Anaesthetic management of a parturient with the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a case report. Corbett WL, Reiter CM, Schultz JR, Kanter RJ, Habib AS.  Br J Anaesth. 2006;97:196–199

3. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: Dental treatment considerations. 

Pregnancy and POTS:

1. Postural tachycardia syndrome complicating pregnancy.

2. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: anesthetic implications in the obstetric patient.

3. Effect of pregnancy on postural tachycardia syndrome.

4. Outcomes of pregnancy in patients with preexisting postural tachycardia syndrome.

5. Anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

6. Pregnancy in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant and have POTS, I'd suggest reading all of these.  Then print them and give them to your OB doctor.  Also consider getting at high risk OB consult!