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Blackout? Cause: misdiagnosis of cardiac arrest

James Pemberton1, Janet M McComb

  • 1Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Clinical Medicine (London, England)
|September 5, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Patients with cardiac disease and implanted devices experiencing loss of consciousness were initially misdiagnosed with epilepsy. Device interrogation revealed cardiac arrhythmias as the true cause, highlighting the importance of cardiac evaluation in syncope.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Medical Device Technology

Background:

  • Syncope and epilepsy are common causes of loss of consciousness presenting to physicians.
  • Patients with known cardiac disease and implanted cardiac devices require careful diagnostic consideration.

Observation:

  • Two patients with cardiac disease and implanted devices presented with recurrent loss of consciousness.
  • Initial investigations focused on epilepsy, delaying the correct diagnosis.

Findings:

  • Cardiac arrhythmia was identified as the cause of syncope in both patients.
  • Device interrogation was crucial for diagnosing the underlying cardiac arrhythmia.

Implications:

  • Emphasizes the need to consider cardiac causes in patients with implanted devices presenting with syncope.
  • Highlights the diagnostic value of cardiac device interrogation in unexplained loss of consciousness.
  • Suggests improved diagnostic pathways are needed to differentiate cardiac syncope from epilepsy.

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