Usefulness of an Implantable Loop Recorder in Patients with Syncope of an Unknown Cause.
10.3349/ymj.2013.54.3.590
- Author:
Gu Hyun KANG
1
;
Ju Hyeon OH
;
Woo Jung CHUN
;
Yong Hwan PARK
;
Bong Gun SONG
;
June Soo KIM
;
Young Keun ON
;
Seung Jung PARK
;
June HUH
Author Information
1. Department of Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Implantable loop recorder;
syncope
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Electrocardiography/instrumentation/methods;
Female;
Humans;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Monitoring, Physiologic/instrumentation/methods;
Syncope/*diagnosis/etiology
- From:Yonsei Medical Journal
2013;54(3):590-595
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The mechanisms underlying syncope remain unknown in about 20% of patients with recurrent syncope. The implantable loop recorder (ILR) has been shown to be a useful diagnostic tool in patients with unexplained syncope even after negative initial evaluations. Nevertheless, ILR has rarely been used in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 18 consecutive patients who had an ILR implanted at our center because of recurrent unexplained syncope after extensive diagnostic tests between February 2006 and June 2011. RESULTS: Diagnosis was confirmed in 10 (55.6%) of the 18 enrolled patients (13 males, 61+/-15 years). The confirmed diagnoses included sick sinus syndrome (n=6, 60%), advanced atrioventricular block (n=2, 20%) and ventricular tachyarrhythmia (n=2, 20%). The mean follow-up durations of the total study subjects and the diagnosed patients were 11.3+/-10.6 months and 5.6+/-9.2 months, respectively. Of the 10 diagnosed patients, 8 (80%) were diagnosed within 6 months of loop recorder implantation. CONCLUSION: ILR may be a valuable and effective diagnostic tool for patients with unexplained syncope.
