Abstract
Syncope—an abrupt, transient, complete loss of consciousness, associated with concomitant loss of postural tone—is characterized by rapid onset, with or without a prodrome, and spontaneous, complete recovery. Defining syncope is critical in order to identify its cause, clarify the mechanism, and understand concomitant risk of recurrence and associated adverse outcomes, as syncope can be confused with other causes of altered, or complete loss, of consciousness, as well as collapse.
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society (ACC/AHA/HRS) separately produced guideline documents that define what syncope is. Additionally, each guideline provides a classification approach to help clinicians understand the etiologies and mechanisms of syncope. Here, we compare and contrast these recent guideline definitions, highlighting key differences, and also discuss differences in etiological classification.
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Williford, N.N., Olshansky, B. (2020). Syncope: Definition and Classification-Contrasting the American and European Guidelines. In: Brignole, M., Benditt, D. (eds) Syncope. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44507-2_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44507-2_1
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