Emergency Department Management of Syncope

Points & Pearls Excerpt

• Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness, typically with associated loss of postural tone, followed by complete, spontaneous recovery.
• Syncope results from global cerebral hypoperfusion from decreased peripheral vascular resistance, decreased cardiac output, or both.
• There are 3 classifications: (1) neurally mediated (reflex) syncope (the most common): (2) orthostatic hypotension (second most common), and (3) cardiac syncope (the least common, but with highest morbidity).
• An ECG should be obtained for all patients who present with syncope, and the patient should be placed on continuous telemetry while in the ED.