Diagnosis and characteristics of syncope in older patients referred to geriatric departments.

Objectives: To test the applicability and safety of a standardized diagnostic algorithm in geriatric departments and to define the prevalence of different causes of syncope in older patients.

Design: Multicenter cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: In-hospital geriatric acute care departments and outpatient clinics.

Participants: Two hundred forty-two patients (aged>or=65, mean+/-standard deviation=79+/-7, range 65-98) consecutively referred for evaluation of transient loss of consciousness to any of six clinical centers participating in the study. Of these, 11 had a syncope-like condition (5 transient ischemic attack; 6 seizures), and 231 had syncope (aged 65-74, n=71; aged>or=75, n=160).

Measurements: Protocol designed to define etiology and clinical characteristics of syncope derived from European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on syncope.

Results: No major complication occurred with use of the protocol. Neurally mediated was the more prevalent form of syncope in this population (66.6%). Cardiac causes accounted for 14.7% of all cases. The neuroreflex form of syncope (vasovagal, situational, and carotid sinus syndrome) was more common in younger than in older patients (62.3% vs 36.2%; P=.001), whereas orthostatic syncope was more frequent in the older than in the younger group (30.5% vs 4.2%; P<.001). In only 10.4% of cases, syncope remained of unexplained origin. After initial evaluation, a definite diagnosis was possible in 40.1% of the cases, and a suspected diagnosis was obtained in 57.9%. Syncope of suspected cardiac origin after initial evaluation was confirmed in 43.7% of cases, and neuromediated causes were confirmed in 83.5% of the cases.

Conclusion: The protocol is applicable even beyond the age of 90 in geriatric departments. The standardized protocol is associated with a reduction in the frequency of unexplained syncope to about 10%.