ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Syncope is a common clinical problem accounting for up to 6% of hospital admissions. Little is known about resource utilisation for patients admitted for syncope management in Ireland. AIM: To determine the utilisation of resources for patients admitted for syncope management. METHODS: Single centre observational case series of consecutive adult patients presenting to an acute hospital Emergency Department with syncope over a 5-month period. RESULTS: Two-hundred and fourteen of 18,898 patients (1.1%) had a syncopal episode, 110 (51.4%) of whom were admitted. Mean length of stay was 6.9 days. Sixty-four of these admissions were deemed unnecessary by retrospective review when compared to ESC guidelines. Eighty-five (77.3%) admitted patients had cardiac investigations and 56 (51%) had brain imaging performed. CONCLUSIONS: Syncope places a large demand on overstretched hospital resources. Most cases can be managed safely as an outpatient and to facilitate this, hospitals should develop outpatient Syncope Management Units.
