Algorithm for managing older patients with syncope based on the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology «Syncope» published in the Russian Journal of Cardiology in 2019

Abstract

Syncope is a short-term transient loss of consciousness associated with a decrease or cessation of blood supply to the brain. Syncope is one of the causes of falls in older patients, leading to increased hospitalizations and deaths. There is  an  increased  susceptibility to  syncope  with advancing  age and sometimes it  occurs with no  identifiable cause. Orthostatic hypotension, carotid sinus syndrome, neuromediated syncope, structural heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmias are the common contributors to  syncope in  older adults. Given the high risk in  this group of  patients, a structured and integrated approach to the management of older patient with syncope is required. Implementing the algorithm for the management of such patients allows us to evaluate the syncope cause, assess the risk and choose the optimal treatment for older patients.