TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnosis and characteristics of syncope in older patients referred to geriatric departments
AU - Ungar, Andrea
AU - Mussi, Chiara
AU - Del Rosso, Attilio
AU - Noro, Gabriele
AU - Abete, Pasquale
AU - Ghirelli, Loredana
AU - Cellai, Tommaso
AU - Landi, Annalisa
AU - Salvioli, Gianfranco
AU - Rengo, Franco
AU - Marchionni, Niccolò
AU - Masotti, Giulio
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To test the applicability and safety of a standardized diagnostic algorithm in geriatric departments and to define the prevalence of different causes of syncope in older patients. DESIGN: Multicenter cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: In-hospital geriatric acute care departments and outpatient clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty-two patients (aged ≥65, mean±standard deviation =79±7, range 65-98) consecutively referred for evaluation of transient loss of consciousness to any of six clinical centers participating in the study. Of these, 11 had a syncope-like condition (5 transient ischemic attack; 6 seizures), and 231 had syncope (aged 65-74, n=71; aged ≥75, n=160). MEASUREMENTS: Protocol designed to define etiology and clinical characteristics of syncope derived from European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on syncope. RESULTS: No major complication occurred with use of the protocol. Neurally mediated was the more prevalent form of syncope in this population (66.6%). Cardiac causes accounted for 14.7% of all cases. The neuroreflex form of syncope (vasovagal, situational, and carotid sinus syndrome) was more common in younger than in older patients (62.3% vs 36.2%; P=.001), whereas orthostatic syncope was more frequent in the older than in the younger group (30.5% vs 4.2%; P
AB - OBJECTIVES: To test the applicability and safety of a standardized diagnostic algorithm in geriatric departments and to define the prevalence of different causes of syncope in older patients. DESIGN: Multicenter cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: In-hospital geriatric acute care departments and outpatient clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty-two patients (aged ≥65, mean±standard deviation =79±7, range 65-98) consecutively referred for evaluation of transient loss of consciousness to any of six clinical centers participating in the study. Of these, 11 had a syncope-like condition (5 transient ischemic attack; 6 seizures), and 231 had syncope (aged 65-74, n=71; aged ≥75, n=160). MEASUREMENTS: Protocol designed to define etiology and clinical characteristics of syncope derived from European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on syncope. RESULTS: No major complication occurred with use of the protocol. Neurally mediated was the more prevalent form of syncope in this population (66.6%). Cardiac causes accounted for 14.7% of all cases. The neuroreflex form of syncope (vasovagal, situational, and carotid sinus syndrome) was more common in younger than in older patients (62.3% vs 36.2%; P=.001), whereas orthostatic syncope was more frequent in the older than in the younger group (30.5% vs 4.2%; P
KW - Cardiovascular disease
KW - Diagnostic protocol
KW - Elderly
KW - Geriatric department
KW - Syncope
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00891.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00891.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17038070
AN - SCOPUS:33749824164
SN - 0002-8614
VL - 54
SP - 1531
EP - 1536
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
IS - 10
ER -