Open AccessManagement of transient loss of consciousness of suspected syncopal cause, after the initial evaluation in the Emergency Department
Author(s) -
Ivo Casagranda,
Michele Brignole,
Simone Cencetti,
Gianfranco Cervellin,
Giorgio Costantino,
Raffaello Furlan,
Gianluigi Mossini,
Filippo Numeroso,
Massimo Pesenti Campagi,
Paolo Pinna Parpaglia,
Martina Rafanelli,
Andrea Ungar
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
emergency care journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2282-2054
pISSN - 1826-9826
DOI - 10.4081/ecj.2016.6046
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , syncope (phonology) , risk stratification , emergency medicine , intensive care unit , medical emergency , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , psychiatry
The recommendations enclosed in the present document have been developed by a group of experts appointed by the Gruppo Multidisciplinare per lo Studio della Sincope (Multidisciplinary Group for the Study of Syncope; GIMSI) and Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care (AcEMC). The aim is to define the diagnostic pathway and the management of patients referred to the Emergency Department (ED) for transient loss of consciousness of suspected syncopal cause, which is still unexplained after the initial evaluation. The risk stratification enables the physician to admit, discharge or monitor shortly the patient in the intensive short-stay Syncope Observation Unit (SOU). There are three risk levels of life-threatening events or serious complications (low, moderate, high). Low risk patients can be discharged, while high risk ones should be monitored and treated properly in case of worsening. Moderate risk patients should undergo clinical and instrumental monitoring in SOU, inside the ED. In all these three cases, patients can be subsequently referred to the Syncope Unit for further diagnostic investigations