SYNCOPE: THE ROLE OF SYNCOPE UNIT
Management of syncope: clinical and economic impact of a Syncope Unit
1 Department of Cardiology, G.B. Grassi Hospital, Via Passeroni 28, Ostia Lido, Roma, Italy; 2 Center for the Study of Syncope, Policlinico Umberto I, Roma, Italy; 3 Medtronic Italia SpA, Sesto S. Giovanni, MI, Italy; 4 Department of Cardiology, S. Filippo Neri Hospital, Roma, Italy
Aims: Aim of this observational study is to evaluate the clinical performance of a Syncope Unit, in order to assess whether the implemented organization really improves syncope management.
Methods and results: The study enrolled patients with unexplained syncope who were consecutively referred to our Syncope Unit, either as outpatients or during hospitalization, in a 2-month period. The design of this observational study consists in three phases: a retrospective analysis of their clinical management in the 9 months prior to the first attendance at the Syncope Unit (phase one), their subsequent clinical management in the Syncope Unit (phase two) and a 9-month follow-up (phase three). The retrospective analysis of phase one showed that 25% of patients had already been hospitalized without diagnosis. After Syncope Unit evaluation, diagnosis was obtained in 82% of patients, with 15% of patients indicated to pacing. In the follow-up, 23% of patients experienced a syncopal recurrence. Our analysis indicated an 85% reduction of hospital costs in the follow-up period.
Conclusion: The clinical and economic analysis of the three phases of our study demonstrates that a Syncope Unit allows an improved management of patients with syncope.
Key Words: Syncope Unit, Guidelines, Loss of consciousness, OESIL risk score, Pacemaker
* Corresponding author. Tel: +39 06 354024444; fax: +39 06 56482177. E-mail address: fabammirati{at}alice.it
Manuscript submitted 12 September 2007. Accepted after revision 13 February 2008.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  Developed in collaboration with, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Heart Failure Association (HFA), and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Endorsed by the following societies, European Society of Emergency Medicine (EuSEM), European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM), European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), European Neurological Society (ENS), et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (version 2009): The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Syncope of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Eur. Heart J., November 1, 2009; 30(21): 2631 - 2671. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|