CARDIAC SYNCOPE

Course overview

SYNCOPE, A SUDDEN, TRANSIENT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND POSTURAL TONE, IS A PHENOMENON ESTIMATED TO AFFECT 30% TO 40% OF THE POPULATION, AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE LIKELY UNDERESTIMATED GIVEN THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF PATIENTS WHO DO NOT PRESENT TO A HOSPITAL OR URGENT CARE SETTING. WHILE MOST SYNCOPAL EVENTS ARE INNOCUOUS, CARDIAC SYNCOPE IS OFTEN INDICATIVE OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL, UNDERLYING DISEASE PROCESS, CARRYING A ONE-YEAR MORTALITY RATE OF 30%. DISTINGUISHING CARDIAC SYNCOPE FROM THE MYRIAD OF OTHER SYNCOPAL ETIOLOGIES CAN BE CHALLENGING. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR ALL INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS TO HAVE A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF CARDIAC SYNCOPE AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS A PATIENT'S WORKUP WITH CARDIAC SYNCOPE AND DESCRIBES THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN MANAGING THIS CONDITION.