title: [Diagnostic and prognostic efficiency of 24-hour Holter monitoring in patients with syncope].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Syncope is a common condition and complex to diagnose. The yield of the 24h-Holter ECG in this context has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic capacity in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 6,006 consecutive patients sent to our unit for 24h-Holter ECG monitoring for syncope. We registered the diagnostic findings and abnormal findings potentially related to an arrhythmic cause of syncope. The prognostic endpoint was a combination of death or the need for device implantation (pacemaker or defibrillator) within one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  242 patients (4%) presented diagnostic findings and 472 (7.9%) had some abnormal findings. In 328 cases device implantation was necessary within one year, but up to 66% of these patients did not have any relevant findings on the Holter monitoring. A total of 564 patients presented the combined event, including 36.8% of patients with diagnostic findings and 8.2% without them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  24h-Holter ECG monitoring presents a limited diagnostic and prognostic yield in unselected patients with syncope.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Cayetana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbeito-Caamaño
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España. Electronic address: alberto.bouzas.mosquera@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouzas-Mosquera
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Tecnologías de la Información, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Broullón
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Nemesio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Álvarez-García
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013575:Syncope
keywords: Defibrillator; Desfibrilador; Diagnosis; Diagnóstico; Holter; Marcapasos; Mortalidad; Mortality; Pacemaker; Syncope; Síncope