Syncope and the Risk of Subsequent Motor Vehicle Crash: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Medical driving restrictions for syncope are common but lack empirical data.
• Syncope recurrence during driving can lead to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the risk of MVCs in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after a first episode of syncope.

Main Methods:

• A population-based, retrospective cohort study in British Columbia, Canada.
• Age- and sex-matched controls were selected from ED visits for conditions other than syncope.
• Linked ED records with administrative health, driving, and crash data to compare crash-free survival.

Main Results:

• The study included 9,223 syncope patients and 34,366 controls.
• No significant difference in MVC risk was found between syncope patients and controls in the year following the ED visit (9.2% vs 10.1%).
• Subsequent crash risk was not elevated in the first 30 days post-ED visit or in high-risk subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Patients with first-episode syncope presenting to the ED have a subsequent crash risk comparable to other ED patients.
• Current stringent driving restrictions after syncope may not be universally warranted.