[Follow-up in patients with syncope]

The prognosis of patients with syncopes depends on their age, underlying illness and the available possibilities of treatment. Patients over 70 years and those with syncope caused by cardiovascular disease have a particularly unfavourable prognosis. If the cause of syncope has been clearly diagnosed, 40 to 100% of the patients can be treated effectively. In 40% of all patients with syncope, the cause remains uncertain. In a follow-up period of 2 years, the cause of syncope could be discovered in a further 12% of patients by examinations on an outpatient basis. Of the patients for whom the reason of syncope was unexplained, 75% remained free from syncopes throughout this 2 year observation period, while 8% suffered from further attacks. In some of these patients it is possible to find a probable diagnosis by combining their symptoms.