[The usefullness of implantable loop recorders for evaluation of unexplained syncope and palpitations]

Syncope is a common complaint and determining the underlying cause can be difficult despite extensive evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an implantable loop recorder for patients with unexplained syncope and palpitations.

This was a retrospective analysis of 18 patients, five of whom still have the device implanted. All patients had undergone extensive evaluation for their symptoms before getting the loop recorder implanted and this was therefore a highly select group.

Of the thirteen patients where use of the device was completed, the mean age was 65±20 years. The loop recorder was in use for a mean time of 20±13 months. Unexplained syncope, eleven of thirteen, was the most common indication. The other two received the loop recorder for unexplained palpitations. Four patients had sick sinus syndrome during monitoring, three had supraventricular tachycardia and one had ventricular tachycardia. Further three had typical symptoms but no arrhythmia was recorded and excluding that as a cause. Two patients had no symptoms the entire time they had the loop recorder. Of the five patients still with the device three had syncope as the indication for monitoring and two have the device as a means of evaluating the results of treatment for arrhythmia.

This study on our initial experience with implantable loop recorders shows that these devices can be useful in the investigation of the causes of syncope and palpitations.