TY - JOUR
T1 - Value of the implantable loop recorder for the management of patients with unexplained syncope
AU - Boersma, Lucas
AU - Mont, Lluís
AU - Sionis, Alessandro
AU - García, Emilio
AU - Brugada, Josep
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - Aim Recurrent syncope often remains unexplained despite extensive multidisciplinary screening. The implantable loop recorder (ILR) may be a tool. to define the cardiac arrhythmias underlying syncope. Methods and results The study population consisted of 43 consecutive patients with unexplained syncope who underwent extensive cardiological screening and were followed with an ILR. During follow-up, 5 patients had only presyncope, 4 had palpitations, and 15 had a true recurrence of syncope. In all patients with palpitations, 3 with presyncope, and 7 with a recurrence of syncope, the ILR excluded arrhythmias. In the patients with a true recurrence, 1 had symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) treated with drugs, 1 had polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) and received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), and 7 had asystole and received a pacemaker. Two patients with presyncope received a pacemaker for Mobitz II block and PAF with brady-tachycardia syndrome. One asymptomatic patient received a pacemaker for significant nocturnal asystole recorded by ILR. Abnormalities in the cardiac screening were observed both in patients with and without syncope, but none of these had a predictive value. Conclusion The ILR is a valuable and effective tool to establish an arrhythmic cause for unexplained syncope. The results of head-up tilt testing (HUTT) and etectrophysiological study (EPS) are neither sufficiently sensitive nor specific enough in this patient group. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
AB - Aim Recurrent syncope often remains unexplained despite extensive multidisciplinary screening. The implantable loop recorder (ILR) may be a tool. to define the cardiac arrhythmias underlying syncope. Methods and results The study population consisted of 43 consecutive patients with unexplained syncope who underwent extensive cardiological screening and were followed with an ILR. During follow-up, 5 patients had only presyncope, 4 had palpitations, and 15 had a true recurrence of syncope. In all patients with palpitations, 3 with presyncope, and 7 with a recurrence of syncope, the ILR excluded arrhythmias. In the patients with a true recurrence, 1 had symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) treated with drugs, 1 had polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) and received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), and 7 had asystole and received a pacemaker. Two patients with presyncope received a pacemaker for Mobitz II block and PAF with brady-tachycardia syndrome. One asymptomatic patient received a pacemaker for significant nocturnal asystole recorded by ILR. Abnormalities in the cardiac screening were observed both in patients with and without syncope, but none of these had a predictive value. Conclusion The ILR is a valuable and effective tool to establish an arrhythmic cause for unexplained syncope. The results of head-up tilt testing (HUTT) and etectrophysiological study (EPS) are neither sufficiently sensitive nor specific enough in this patient group. (C) 2003 The European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eupc.2003.09.006
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eupc.2003.09.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 14697729
SN - 1099-5129
VL - 6
SP - 70
EP - 76
JO - Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology
JF - Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology
IS - 1
ER -