Current Approach to Pediatric Syncope

Syncope is the abrupt loss of consciousness and postural tone that reverses without intervention. Typically, syncopal episodes in pediatric patients are brief, lasting seconds (rarely minutes), and are followed by complete recovery without residual neurological sequelae. Syncopal presentations may be dramatic and lead family members and primary care providers to suspect a malignant cardiac condition, prompting referral to a pediatric cardiologist. Significant advances in the understanding of syncope in infants, children, and adolescents have occurred in the past decade. This review emphasizes neurally mediated syncope, but other etiologies are reviewed to complete the spectrum encountered by pediatric cardiologists. Some clues are provided to distinguish the more common and benign forms of syncope from those due to significant underlying heart disease.