Syncope

Question 1

What is syncope?

Answer 1

The event of temporarily losing consciousness due to a disruption of blood flow to the brain which often leads to a fall

Question 2

1) Patients often remember the event and can recall how they felt prior to fainting - what is this called?
2) Name 2 signs or symptoms a patient may recall prior to fainting

Answer 2

1) Prodrome
2) Hot or clammy, sweaty, heavy, dizzy or lightheaded, vision going blurry or dark, headache

Question 3

Name 2 causes of a primary/simple syncope

Answer 3

• Dehydration
• Missed meals
• Extended standing in a warm environment
• A vasovagal response to a stimuli (i.e. sudden surprise, pain, sight of blood)

Question 4

Name 2 causes of secondary syncope

Answer 4

• Hypoglycemia
• Dehydration
• Anaemia
• Infection
• Anaphylaxis
• Arrhythmias
• Valvular heart disease
• Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

Question 5

Name 2 investigations, and what they’d be looking for

Answer 5

• ECG - arrhythmia and the QT interval (long QT syndrome)
• 24 hour ECG if paroxysmal arrhythmias suspected
• Echocardiogram if structural heart disease is suspected
• Bloods - FBC (anaemia), electrolytes (arrhythmias and seizures) and blood glucose (diabetes)
• Tilt table test