Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (version 2009)
The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Syncope
of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Developed in collaboration with, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA),
Heart Failure Association (HFA) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)
Moya A (Chairperson) et al. European Heart Journal (2009) 30: 2631-2671
Heart Failure Association (HFA) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)
Moya A (Chairperson) et al. European Heart Journal (2009) 30: 2631-2671
"The first ESC Guidelines for the management of syncope, were published in 2001, and reviewed in 2004. In March 2008, the CPG considered that there were enough new data to justify production of new guidelines. There are two main aspects of this document that differentiate it from its predecessors. The first is to stress the concept that there are two distinct reasons for evaluating patients with syncope: one is to identify he precise cause in order to address an effective mechanismspecific treatment; the other is to identify the specific risk to the patient, which frequently depends on the underlying disease rather than on the mechanism of syncope itself. The background is provided for physicians to avoid confounding these two concepts. The second aspect is to produce a comprehensive document which is addressed not only to cardiologists but to all physicians who are interested in the field. In order to achieve this aim a great number of other specialists were involved, as either full members, external contributors, or reviewers nominated by international societies of neurology, autonomic disease, internal medicine, emergency medicine, geriatrics, and general medicine. In total 76 specialists from different disciplines participated in this project."