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Syncope and head CT scans in the emergency department
Pierre Giglio1, Edward M Bednarczyk, Karen Weiss
1Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Emergency Radiology
|November 18, 2005
Summary
Head computerized tomography (CT) scans are frequently used for syncope patients in the emergency department (ED). However, these scans rarely reveal significant findings directly related to the syncope event.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Syncope is a common presentation in emergency departments.
- Evaluating syncope requires careful consideration of diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utilization and diagnostic yield of head computerized tomography (CT) scans in emergency department patients presenting with syncope.
- To determine the clinical relevance of head CT findings in the context of syncope.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 128 patients presenting with syncope to a community hospital's ED over six months.
- Analysis of head CT scan findings and their correlation with clinical presentation.
Main Results:
- Head CT scans were performed in 44 out of 128 syncope patients.
- Only one patient had a head CT finding (posterior circulation infarction) directly related to syncope.
- Nineteen scans were normal, and 24 showed unrelated abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- Head CT scans are frequently employed in the evaluation of syncope patients.
- The diagnostic yield of head CT for syncope-related findings is low in this cohort.
- Further prospective studies are needed to clarify the role of head CT in syncope management.
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