[Ambulatory electrocardiography in aged patients with syncope]

3600 dynamic ecg recordings were carried out over a period of about seven years. In 408 cases (11.3%), indication for the investigation consisted of syncopal or equivalent minor episodes. 37 patients (9%) presented symptoms during the recording; in 12 cases (2.9%), the symptoms corresponded to an arrhythmia. An increase in atrial and ventricular arrhythmias with advancing age was also observed. Owing to the high incidence of arrhythmias in the elderly, and the poor correlation between symptoms and significant arrhythmias, dynamic ecg is therefore of little diagnostic value in syncope patients.