Managing Syncope in the Elderly: The Not So Simple Faint in Aging Patients

Providing care to the elderly patient with syncope poses problems that are unusual in their complexity. The differential diagnosis is broad, and sorting through it is made more difficult by the relative lack of symptoms surrounding the faint. Indeed, distinguishing faints from falls is often problematic. Many elderly patients are frail and are at risk of trauma if they should have an unprotected faint or fall to the ground. However, not all elderly patients are frail, and definitions of frailty vary. Providing accurate, effective, and appropriate care for the frail elderly patient who faints may require a multidisciplinary approach.