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European Heart Journal 2004 25(22):2054-2072; doi:10.1016/j.ehj.2004.09.004
Copyright © 2004 by the European Society of Cardiology.
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ESC Guidelines

Guidelines on management (diagnosis and treatment) of syncope – Update 2004

The task force on Syncope, European Society of Cardiology

Task Force members, Michele Brignole, Chairperson (Italy)1, Paolo Alboni, (Italy), David G. Benditt, (USA), Lennart Bergfeldt, (Sweden), Jean-Jacques Blanc, (France), Poul Erik Bloch Thomsen, (Denmark), J. Gert van Dijk, (The Netherlands), Adam Fitzpatrick, (UK), Stefan Hohnloser, (Germany), Jan Janousek, (Czech Republic), Wishwa Kapoor, (USA), Rose Anne Kenny, (UK), Piotr Kulakowski, (Poland), Giulio Masotti, (Italy)2, Angel Moya, (Spain), Antonio Raviele, (Italy), Richard Sutton, (UK), George Theodorakis, (Greece), Andrea Ungar, (Italy)2,2 and Wouter Wieling, (The Netherlands)

Executive Summary

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG): Silvia G. Priori (Chairperson) (Italy), Maria Angeles Alonso Garcia (Spain), Jean-Jacques Blanc (France), Andrzej Budaj (Poland), Martin Cowie (UK), Jaap Deckers (The Netherlands), Enrique Fernandez Burgos (Spain), John Lekakis (Greece), Bertil Lindhal (Sweden), Gianfranco Mazzotta (Italy), João Morais (Portugal), Ali Oto (Turkey), Otto Smiseth (Norway)

Document reviewers: Silvia G. Priori (CPG Review Coordinator) (Italy), Martin Cowie (UK), Carlo Menozzi (Italy), Hugo Ector (Belgium), Ali Oto (Turkey), Panos Vardas (Greece)

Preamble

Guidelines and Expert Consensus documents aim to present all the relevant evidence on a particular issue in order to help physicians to weigh the benefits and risks of a particular diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. They should be helpful in everyday clinical decision-making.

A great number of Guidelines and Expert Consensus Documents have been issued in recent years by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and by different organisations and other related societies. This profusion can . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Introduction

Part 1. The initial evaluation

The diagnostic strategy based on the initial evaluation
Non-syncopal conditions
Certain diagnosis
Suspected diagnosis
Unexplained syncope
Re-appraisal
Part 2. Diagnostic tests

Electrocardiographic monitoring (non-invasive and invasive)
Electrophysiological testing

Suspected ventricular tachycardia
ATP test

Part 3. Treatment

Neurally-mediated (reflex) syncope
Part 4. Special issues

Syncope in paediatric patients
Syncope management facilities
Professional skill mix for the syncope evaluation facility
Equipment
Setting
Driving and syncope
Appendix A: ESC Task Force on Guidelines on management (diagnosis and treatment) of syncope


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