title: Management of syncope: clinical and economic impact of a Syncope Unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aim of this observational study is to evaluate the clinical performance of a Syncope Unit, in order to assess whether the implemented organization really improves syncope management.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study enrolled patients with unexplained syncope who were consecutively referred to our Syncope Unit, either as outpatients or during hospitalization, in a 2-month period. The design of this observational study consists in three phases: a retrospective analysis of their clinical management in the 9 months prior to the first attendance at the Syncope Unit (phase one), their subsequent clinical management in the Syncope Unit (phase two) and a 9-month follow-up (phase three). The retrospective analysis of phase one showed that 25% of patients had already been hospitalized without diagnosis. After Syncope Unit evaluation, diagnosis was obtained in 82% of patients, with 15% of patients indicated to pacing. In the follow-up, 23% of patients experienced a syncopal recurrence. Our analysis indicated an 85% reduction of hospital costs in the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical and economic analysis of the three phases of our study demonstrates that a Syncope Unit allows an improved management of patients with syncope.
authors: Department of Cardiology, G.B. Grassi Hospital, Via Passeroni 28, Ostia Lido, Roma, Italy. fabammirati@alice.it
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Ammirati
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Colaceci
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Cesario
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Strano
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Della Scala
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Colangelo
authors: Tiziana
authors: T
authors: De Santo
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Toscano
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Ricci
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Santini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054869:Clinical Audit; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013575:Syncope / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*