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Older age predicts short-term, serious events after syncope
Benjamin C Sun1, Jerome R Hoffman, Carol M Mangione
1Department of Medicine, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA. bsun@post.harvard.edu
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|June 1, 2007
Summary
Older adults (60+) visiting the emergency department for syncope face a higher risk of serious 14-day adverse events. This highlights the importance of age as a critical factor in syncope risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Geriatric Medicine
- Cardiology
Background:
- Syncope is a common reason for emergency department visits.
- Identifying patients at risk for serious outcomes after syncope is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between patient age and the occurrence of serious adverse events within 14 days of an emergency department visit for syncope.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study was conducted in a single academic emergency department.
- Adult patients presenting with syncope or near-syncope were enrolled.
- Risk factors were recorded, and patients were followed up at 14 days to identify serious events using a physician panel review.
Main Results:
- Of 477 patients, 17% experienced a serious 14-day event.
- Patients aged 60-79 and 80+ had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios (3.8) for serious outcomes compared to those aged 18-39.
- A delayed diagnosis occurred in 4% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Advanced age (60 years and older) is a significant predictor of short-term serious events following emergency department syncope evaluations.
- Age stratification is essential for risk stratification in syncope patients.
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