title: Syncope management in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the current practice of emergency department (ED) management of syncope in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of "major" or "intermediate" size ED in the UK and Republic of Ireland conducted by postal and telephone questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  177 (70%) ED responded. 32 (18%) ED have syncope guidelines, which are based on a range of existing guidelines. 97 ED (55%) have an observation ward or clinical decision unit and 48 (49%) of these admit syncope patients to these units. 32 ED (18%) have access to a specialist syncope outpatient clinic. This is most likely to be run by general practitioner specialists (43%) or general physicians (24%). 81% of ED felt that improved research-based guidelines would be useful when managing syncope patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ED management of syncope patients in the UK and Republic of Ireland is varied. Only 18% of ED have specific guidelines for managing this difficult condition and only 18% have access to a specialist syncope clinic. A robust consensus UK syncope guideline is clearly required.
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stockley
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bonney
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013575:Syncope / Q000628:therapy*; D006113:United Kingdom