ABSTRACT
Objective To design an effective,inexpensive and handy scoring system of preliminary screening for the diagnosis of orthostatic intolerance (OI)in children and adolescents. Methods Two hundred and seventy -four children or adolescents diagnosed or hospitalized in Children′s Syncope Specialist Clinic or Inpatient Department of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from July 2016 to March 2017,who were complaining about the following symptoms like unexplained syncope,dizziness,headache,chest tightness,chest pain,etc. The 274 cases in-cluded 141 males and 133 females aging from 5 to 18 years old with a mean age of (11. 8 ± 2. 7)years. Each patient was asked to finish OI questionnaire and head - up tilt test (HUTT). The scores of the eight symptoms,including palpi-tation,headache,profuse perspiration,blurred vision or amaurosis,chest tightness,dizziness,gastrointestinal symptoms and syncope,were added as OI symptom scores. The data were analyzed by SPSS 18. 0 software. Results All the pa-tients were divided into HUTT negative group (n = 151)and positive group (n = 123). The positive group was com-posed of vasovagal syncope (VVS)(n = 88),postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)(n = 33)and ortho-static hypertension (OHT)(n = 2). Among them,31 cases were positive in baseline HUTT (BHUT)and 92 cases were negative in sublingual nitroglycerin - provocated HUTT (SNHUT). The mean OI symptom scores of HUTT positive group were distinctly higher than those of negative group [(6. 4 ± 4. 6)scores vs. (3. 5 ± 3. 4)scores,P = 0. 000]with significant difference. Taking score ≥2. 5 as the borderline,the sensitivity and specificity of HUTT result prediction were 79. 2％ and 50. 3％,respectively. Since the score was supposed to be integer number,HUTT result should be con-sidered as positive when the score was ≥3. In the HUTT positive group,the scores of POTS children group were signifi-cantly higher than those of VVS group [(8. 8 ± 5. 2)scores vs. (5. 5 ± 4. 1)scores,P < 0. 01]and the mixed syncope had the lowest score in the VVS group;The scores of BHUT positive group were obviously higher than those of SNHUT positive group [(7. 8 ± 4. 6)scores vs. (5. 6 ± 4. 4)scores,P < 0. 05]and all the difference were significant. Conclusions OI symptom score has some predictive value on the results of HUTT and can be served as a preliminary screening of OI in children and adolescents.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the characteristics and clinical features of positive response during head - up tilt test (HUT) in children. Methods Forty- nine cases of syncope and aura of syncope were included in the study. All of them underwent HUT (tilt angle 60 degree,lasting 45 minutes). During the test,children' blood pressure,heart rate.electrocardiography and clinical symptoms and signs were dynamically observed. Results The common syncope aura symptoms were headache, dizziness, chest distress, difficulties in breathing, pale, perspiration, blurred vision, auditus depression and symptoms related to digestive symptoms. Among the 28 positive cases, 7 cases were of vaso - inhibitory pattern (25%), with a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate, 3 cases inhibitory pattern (11%), with a decrease in heart rate but withoilt'blood pressure changes, 4 cases mixed pattern (14 %), with decreases in heart rate and blood pressure obviously, 10 eases POTS (36%), with an increase in heart rate by 30 bpm or up to 120 bpm within 10 minutes while testing, and 4 cases orthostatic hypotension (14%), with a decrease in blood pressure within 3 minutes. Conclusion HUT can be regarded as the main tool in differential diagnosis of unexplained syncope in children.