Martina Rafanelli

Standardized algorithm for cardiac pacing in older patients affected by severe unpredictable reflex syncope: 3-year insights from the Syncope Unit Project 2 (SUP 2) study

AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects and determinants of success of cardiac pacing in patients affected by reflex syncope enrolled in the Syncope Unit Project 2 (SUP 2) study. Initial results have validated the effectiveness of a standardized guideline-based algorithm which can be used in clinical practice in order to select suitable candidates for cardiac pacing. METHODS AND RESULTS In this prospective, multicentre, observational study, patients aged >40 years, affected by severe unpredictable recurrent reflex syncope, underwent carotid sinus massage (CSM), followed by tilt testing (TT) if CSM was negative, followed by implantation of an implantable loop recorder (ILR) if TT was negative. Those who had an asystolic response to one of these tests received a dual-chamber pacemaker. Of 281 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 137 (49%) received a pacemaker and were followed up for a mean of 26 ± 11 months: syncope recurred in 25 (18%) of them. At 3 years, the actuarial syncope recurrence rate was 20% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12-30] and was significantly lower than in 142 patients who did not receive a pacemaker and were observed by means of an ILR [43% (95% CI 29-57), P = 0.01]. The 3-year recurrence rate was not different among 78 CSM+, 38 TT+, and 21 ILR+ patients, whereas it was lower in 20 patients with negative TT [5% (95% CI 0-15)] than in 61 patients with positive TT [24% (95% CI 10-38)]. CONCLUSION The benefit of cardiac pacing is maintained at 3 years, irrespective of the index diagnostic test, and is maximum in patients with negative TT. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01509534.

Assessment of a structured management pathway for patients referred to the Emergency Department for syncope: results in a tertiary hospital

AIMS High hospitalization rates (39-58% in the literature) of patients admitted to Emergency Department (ED) for transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC) suspected for syncope are still an unresolved issue. The presence of an Observation Unit has reduced hospital admissions and the duration of hospitalization in controlled studies, and a Syncope Unit (SU) in the hospital may reduce hospitalization and increase the number of diagnoses in patients with T-LOC. We assessed the effect of a structured organization on hospitalization rate and outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS Consecutive patients referred to the ED for a T-LOC of a suspected syncopal nature as the main diagnosis were included. The ED physician was trained to choose between: hospital admission (directly or after short observation); discharge after short (<48-h) observation; discharge on a fast track to the SU; and direct discharge without any further diagnostics. From January to June 2010, 362 patients were evaluated in the ED: 29% were admitted, 20% underwent short observation in the ED, 20% were referred to the SU, and 31% were directly discharged. Follow-up data were available on 295 patients who were discharged alive: of these, 1 (0.3%) previously hospitalized patient died within 30 days and 16 (5.4%) died within 1 year. Death rates were 12.9, 3.3, 0, and 2.5% among admitted, observation, SU, and ED-discharged patients, respectively. No death could be directly attributed to T-LOC. Re-admission within 1 year for any cause occurred in 72 (24%) patients; re-admission rates were 45.9, 19.3, 11.5, and 18.0% among admitted, observation, SU, and ED-discharged patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The availability of short observation and a SU seems to reduce the hospitalization rate compared with previous reported historical reports from our and other centres. Most deaths during follow-up occurred in patients who had been hospitalized. High rates of re-admission to the ED within 1 year are still an issue.

Etiology of Syncope and Unexplained Falls in Elderly Adults with Dementia: Syncope and Dementia (SYD) Study.

To investigate the etiology of transient loss of consciousness (T‐LOC) suspected to be syncope and unexplained falls in elderly adults with dementia.

Neuroautonomic evaluation of patients with unexplained syncope: incidence of complex neurally mediated diagnoses in the elderly

Background The incidence of syncope increases in individuals over the age of 70 years, but data about this condition in the elderly are limited. Little is known about tilt testing (TT), carotid sinus massage (CSM), or supine and upright blood pressure measurement related to age or about patients with complex diagnoses, for example, those with a double diagnosis, ie, positivity in two of these three tests. Methods A total of 873 consecutive patients of mean age 66.5±18 years underwent TT, CSM, and blood pressure measurement in the supine and upright positions according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope.1 Neuroautonomic evaluation was performed if the first-line evaluation (clinical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram) was suggestive of neurally mediated syncope, or if the first-line evaluation was suggestive of cardiac syncope but this diagnosis was excluded after specific diagnostic tests according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope, or if certain or suspected diagnostic criteria were not present after the first-line evaluation. Results A diagnosis was reached in 64.3% of cases. TT was diagnostic in 50.4% of cases, CSM was diagnostic in 11.8% of cases, and orthostatic hypotension was present in 19.9% of cases. Predictors of a positive tilt test were prodromal symptoms and typical situational syncope. Increased age and a pathologic electrocardiogram were predictors of carotid sinus syndrome. Varicose veins and alpha-receptor blockers, nitrates, and benzodiazepines were associated with orthostatic hypotension. Twenty-three percent of the patients had a complex diagnosis. The most frequent association was between vasovagal syncope and orthostatic hypotension (15.8%); 42.9% of patients aged 80 years or older had a complex diagnosis, for which age was the strongest predictor. Conclusion Neuroautonomic evaluation is useful in older patients with unexplained syncope after the initial evaluation. A complex neurally mediated diagnosis is frequent in older people. Our results suggest that complete neuroautonomic evaluation should be done particularly in older patients.

In Hospital and 3-Month Mortality and Functional Recovery Rate in Patients Treated for Hip Fracture by a Multidisciplinary Team.

Objectives Medical comorbidities affect outcome in elderly patients with hip fracture. This study was designed to preliminarily evaluate the usefulness of a hip-fracture unit led by an internal medicine specialist. Methods In-hospital and 3-month outcomes in patients with hip fracture were prospectively evaluated in 121 consecutive patients assessed before and followed after surgery by a multidisciplinary team led by internal medicine specialist; 337 consecutive patients were recalled from ICD-9 discharge records and considered for comparison regarding in-hospital mortality. Results In the intervention period, patients treated within 48 hours were 54% vs. 26% in the historical cohort (P<0.0001). In-hospital mortality remained stable at about 2.3 per 1000 person-days. At 3 months, 10.3% of discharged patients had died, though less than 8% of patients developed postoperative complications (mainly pneumonia and respiratory failure). The presence of more than 2 major comorbidities and the loss of 3 or more BADL were independent predictors of death. 50/105 patients recovered previous functional capacity, but no independent predictor of functional recovery could be identified. Mean length of hospital stay significantly decreased in comparison to the historical cohort (13.6± 4.7 vs 17 ± 5 days, p = 0.0001). Combined end-point of mortality and length of hospitalization < 12 days was significantly lower in study period (27 vs 34%, p <0.0132). Conclusions Identification and stabilization of concomitant clinical problems by internal medicine specialists may safely decrease time to surgery in frail subjects with hip fracture. Moreover, integrated perioperative clinical management may shorten hospital stay with no apparent increase in in-hospital mortality and ultimately improve the outcome. These results are to be confirmed by a larger study presently ongoing at our institution.

My older patient with cancer reports falls: What should I do?

Falling is one of the major geriatric syndromes, with a multi-factorial pathogenesis due to age-related changes, pathological conditions and environmental hazards. Such a multi-factorial syndrome needs a standardized approach aimed at identifying risk factors. A comprehensive loco-motor, gait and standing balance, cardiovascular and neurological assessment, as well as a drugs regimens review, should be part of the routinely approach. Modification of environmental hazards, exercise training, behavioral and pharmacological treatment of specific diseases which can be the leading cause of falls, should all be part of an individualized intervention. Particular attention should be paid in the evaluation of unexplained falls, which can mask hypotensive or arrhythmic syncope.

Syncope and Epilepsy coexist in ‘possible’ and ‘drug-resistant’ epilepsy (Overlap between Epilepsy and Syncope Study - OESYS)

BackgroundDifferential diagnosis between syncope and epilepsy in patients with transient loss of consciousness of uncertain etiology is still unclear. Thus, the aim of the present work is to evaluate the prevalence of syncope in patients with “possible” or “drug-resistant” epilepsy.MethodsThe Overlap between Epilepsy and SYncope Study (OESYS) is a multicenter prospective observational study designed to estimate the prevalence of syncope in patients followed in Epilepsy Centers for “possible” or “drug-resistant” epilepsy and assessed according the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines of syncope diagnosis.ResultsOne hundred seven patients were evaluated; 63 (58.9%) had possible and 44 (41.1%) drug-resistant epilepsy. A final diagnosis of isolated syncope was in 45 patients (42.1%), all with possible epilepsy (45/63, 71.4%). Isolated epilepsy was found in 21 patients (19.6%) and it was more frequent in the drug-resistant than in the possible epilepsy group (34.1% vs. 9.5%, p = 0.002). More importantly, syncope and epilepsy coexisted in 37.4% of all patients but the coexistence was more frequent among patients with drug-resistant than possible epilepsy (65.9% vs. 17.5%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsIsolated syncope was diagnosed in ≈ 70% of patients with possible epilepsy. Syncope and epilepsy coexisted in ≈ 20% of patients with possible and in ≈ 60% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. These findings highlight the need of ESC guidelines of syncope approach in patients with possible and drug-resistant epilepsy.

Evaluation of renal function in the elderly, not as easy as it seems: a review.

In the elderly assessment of renal function by glomerular filtration rate estimation is crucial for diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic purposes. Our aim is to illustrate the different formulas available and their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Poor diagnostic performance of tilt testing in hypertensive patients with unexplained syncope.

Syncope is a common condition. Tilt testing with sublingual nitroglycerin (TT-TNT) provides a test with good specificity and positivity rate in young and old patients. Its use in hypertensive patients with unexplained syncope has not been validated. The aims of this study were to evaluate the positivity rate, specificity and tolerability of TT-TNT in hypertensive patients with unexplained syncope. Five hundred and ten subjects (mean age 55 years) were enrolled, 388 patients with unexplained syncope (73 hypertensive and 315 normotensive) and 122 controls (59 hypertensive and 63 normotensive). All subjects underwent TT-TNT. The responses were classified as positive, negative or exaggerated (aspecific). In hypertensive patients, the usual hypotensive therapy was taken on the day of the test. In hypertensive controls, the positive responses were higher than in normotensives (19% vs 6%, P<0.001). The overall specificity was 81% in hypertensives and 94% in normotensives. The positivity rate was significantly lower in hypertensives (55% vs 72%, P<0.03). There was no significant difference between young patients and patients >65 years. TT was well tolerated, and no serious side effects occurred. TT potentiated with TNT has a lower positivity rate and specificity in hypertensive than in normotensive patients with syncope.

Chronic nitrate therapy reduces positivity rate of tilt testing potentiated with sublingual nitroglycerin in patients with unexplained syncope

Mean age 67.9 ± 17 65.1 ± 18 0.02 Sex male/female 180/253 193/247 / Hypertension, n (%) 235 (54.3) 216 (49.1) ns Diabetes, n (%) 71 (16.4) 52 (11.8) ns Falls, n (%) 77 (17.8) 50 (11.4) 0.007 Heart disease, n (%) 89 (20.6) 72 (16.4) ns Varicose Veins, n (%) 103 (23.8) 102 (23.2) ns Chronic nitrate therapy reduces positivity rate of tilt testing potentiated with sublingual nitroglycerin in patients with unexplained syncope