Syncope: cardiac investigations
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Syncope: cardiac investigations. The blood pressure (BP) and heart rate after measured after 5 minutes of lying supine.
Postural blood pressure testing
- The blood pressure (BP) and heart rate after measured after 5 minutes of lying supine
- They are then checked at 1 and 3 minutes after standing
- The BP is measured with the arm outstretched
- A positive test is a systolic BP fall of ≥20mmHg or a diastolic BP fall of ≥10mmHg
Echocardiography
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Loop recorder
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Other tests
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References
- Gibbons CH, Schmidt P, Biaggioni I, et al. The recommendations of a consensus panel for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and associated supine hypertension. J Neurol 2017; 264:1567-1582.
- Grubb BP. Neurocardiogenic syncope and related disorders of orthostatic intolerance. Circulation 2005; 111:2997-3006.
- Sarasin FP, Junod AF, Carballo D, Slama S, Unger PF, Louis-Simonet M. Role of echocardiography in the evaluation of syncope: a prospective study. Heart 2002; 88:363-467.
