RT Book, Section
A1 Goldberger, Zachary D.
A1 Ruzieh, Mohammed
A1 Grubb,  Blair P.
A2 Fuster, Valentin
A2 Narula, Jagat
A2 Vaishnava, Prashant
A2 Leon, Martin B.
A2 Callans, David J.
A2 Rumsfeld, John S.
A2 Poppas, Athena
SR Print(0)
ID 1202447851
T1 Diagnosis and Management of Syncope
T2 Fuster and Hurst's The Heart, 15e
YR 2022
FD 2022
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781264257560
LK accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1202447851
RD 2024/10/12
AB Chapter  SummaryThis  chapter  summarizes  the  pathophysiology,  etiology,  diagnosis,  and  management  of  syncope  (see  Fuster  and  Hurst’s  Central  illustration).  Syncope  is  a  common  symptom,  characterized  by  an  abrupt,  transient,  and  complete  loss  of  consciousness,  followed  by  spontaneous  recovery.  The  incidence  of  syncope  increases  with  age,  with  a  lifetime  prevalence  of  40%  and  a  recurrence  rate  of  14%.  Given  the  myriad  causes  and  protean  manifestations  of  syncope,  the  diagnosis  is  often  elusive,  and  the  treatment  will  vary  based  on  the  underlying  etiology.  There  are  three  main  causes  of  syncope:  cardiac  (primarily  due  to  arrhythmia  or  structural  heart  disease),  neurocardiogenic  (vasovagal  syncope  and  carotid  hypersensitivity),  and  orthostatic  hypotension  (dysautonomia,  hypovolemia,  and  medication-induced).  Cardiac  syncope  generally  increases  the  risk  of  sudden  cardiac  death  if  left  untreated,  whereas  neurocardiogenic  and  orthostatic  causes  usually  follow  a  more  benign  course.  Syncope,  regardless  of  the  cause,  may  impair  quality  of  life  and  confer  serious  physical  injury  if  not  properly  treated.