Syncope guidelines published Day 1

The Europeans have published a thorough guideline for syncope.  I have not had time to absorb the entire guideline – it is dense but seems very well done.  There is enough material here for 5 days of short posts rather than one long post. Today, I have copied their key messages. 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope, European Heart Journal 10. Key messages The ESC Task Force has selected 19 simple rules to guide the diagnosis and management of syncope patients with TLOC (total loss of consciousness) according to the 2018 ESC Guidelines on syncope: Diagnosis: initial evaluation At the initial evaluation answer the following four key questions: • Was the event TLOC? •?In cases of TLOC, are they of syncopal or non-syncopal origin? •?In cases of suspected syncope, is there a clear aetiological diagnosis? •?Is there evidence to suggest a high risk of cardiovascular events or death? At the evaluation of TLOC in the ED, answer the following three key questions: •?Is there a serious underlying cause that can be identified? •?If the cause is uncertain, what is the risk of a serious outcome? •?Should the patient be admitted to hospital? In all patients, perform a complete history taking, physical examination (including standing BP measurement), and standard ECG. Perform immediate ECG monitoring (in bed or telemetry) in high-risk patients when there is a suspicion of arrhythmic syncope. Perform an echocardiogram when there is previous know...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs