[Syncope as presentation form of pulmonary thromboembolism. Study of 15 cases].
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the prevalence of syncope as a form of presentation of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in the emergency department of a general hospital.


METHODS
All the cases of PTE having gone to the emergency department between May 1983 and July 1989 were collected. A radiography of the thorax, arterial gasometry, an electrocardiogram and a pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy were performed in each patient. Ventilation scintigraphy and/or pulmonary DIVAS were also carried out when necessary.


RESULTS
Of a total of 63 patients, 15 (24%) had a syncope as a primary manifestation. No significant differences were observed in regards to predisposing factors between the syncope group (S) and the non-syncope group (NS) with there being a predominance of women in the S group (p less than 0.05). Furthermore, the S group had a greater prevalence of tachycardia, hypotension, electrocardiographic changes, pleural effusion and perfusion defect greater than 50% in the pulmonary scintigraphy.


CONCLUSIONS
PTE should be discarded in any patient with a clinical picture of syncope with hypotension and tachycardia, especially if female. When PTE is presented as a syncope it is generally a massive embolism.
Toda
R
R
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hosptial de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universidad de Barcelona.
Vidal
F
F
Benet
A
A
Blavia
R
R
García
V
V
Richart
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013575:Syncope / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
Síncope como forma de presentación de un tromboembolismo pulmonar. Estudio de 15 casos.