Syncope is a sudden, transient loss of consciousness, which is thought to be secondary to cerebral hypoperfusion. It can be divided into cardiac syncope, e.g., due to arrhythmias or structural heart disease (potentially life-threatening), and noncardiac syncope, which includes frequently benign causes such as reflex syncope (due to vasovagal responses or carotid sinus syndrome) and orthostatic syncope. The diagnostic approach is focused on determining if loss of consciousness was due to syncope (ruling out differential diagnoses), ruling out immediately life-threatening causes of syncope, and determining the risk of serious adverse events from syncope, which further guide management and disposition. This involves obtaining a detailed history and performing a physical examination, including orthostatic vital sign measurements and an initial ECG. Further diagnostics should be guided by clinical suspicion of the underlying disease. In many cases, syncope is multifactorial and it is not possible to determine a specific etiology. The treatment strategy depends on the cause. #Syncope #lossofconsciousness #cerebralhypoperfusion #arrhythmias #structuralheartdisease #noncardiacsyncope #reflexsyncope #vasovagal #carotidsinussyndrome #orthostaticsyncope
