Syncope

Syncope is the medical term for fainting or blacking out. It is a sudden loss of consciousness, usually for a short time. It is mostly because there is not enough oxygen in the brain. It can be for other reasons.

Syncope (medicine)
Pietro Longhi 027.jpg
ICD-10R55.
ICD-9780.2
DiseasesDB27303
eMedicinemed/3385  ped/2188 emerg/876
MeSHD013575

Fainting is quite common. It usually happens in two age ranges: the teenage years, and during older age. The chance of a person fainting at least once in a lifetime is about 40 to 50 percent. Syncope causes 1 to 3 percent of all attendances to emergency departments and 1 to 6 percent of all hospital admissions.[1][2]

References

  1. Ruwald M.H. et al 2012. The relation between age, sex, comorbidity, and pharmacotherapy and the risk of syncope: a Danish nationwide study (2012). "The relation between age, sex, comorbidity, and pharmacotherapy and the risk of syncope: A Danish nationwide study". Europace. 14 (10): 1506–14. doi:10.1093/europace/eus154. PMID 22588456.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Sun B.C; Emond J.A. & Camargo C.A. 2004. Characteristics and admission patterns of patients presenting with syncope to U.S. emergency departments, 1992-2000 (2004). "Characteristics and Admission Patterns of Patients Presenting with Syncope to U.S. Emergency Departments, 1992-2000". Acad Emerg Med. 11 (10): 1029–34. doi:10.1197/j.aem.2004.05.032. PMID 15466144.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link).