A practical approach to evaluating the patient with syncope.
Syncope is a significant patient care issue. There are approximately half a million cases annually. Syncope may represent a life-threatening condition or a benign process. Identifying the cause of syncope is often difficult because it occurs sporadically and the cause is usually not obvious. The literature states that as many as 25% to 50% of patients who experience syncope remain undiagnosed. Taking a very practical approach when caring for these patients includes a very detailed health history, electrocardiogram, and a logical approach based on what is known and what was learned from the patient's medical history.
Bentz
Barbara A
BA
Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, 500 University Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. bbentz@psu.edu
D000465:Algorithms; D015984:Causality; D003422:Critical Care; D003663:Decision Trees; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010808:Physical Examination; D013575:Syncope / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy