Did This Patient Have Cardiac Syncope? The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review.

Syncope accounts for a large proportion of Emergency Department visits each year, with an overall incidence of 0.6% per year in adults and 2-6% in elderly patients. Cardiac syncope, which accounts for 5-21% of syncope presentations in primary care and emergency settings, is transient loss of consciousness due to a reduction in cardiac output secondary to cardiopulmonary disease (i.e., mechanical/structural heart disease or arrhythmias). Distinguishing cardiac syncope from other causes, such as reflex syncope or orthostatic syncope, can be challenging.

Source: The Journal of Emergency Medicine - October 31, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Ryan Matthews, Amanda Young Source Type: research