syncopal

It is likely that these medications also reduce syncopal episodes.

In some individuals, hundreds of non-fatal syncopal attacks have been noted.

Sudden death can occur with the initial syncopal episode, but is more common after several such episodes.

Occasionally, syncopal episodes decrease in frequency and may even disappear with increasing age.

As with any syncopal episode that results from a cardiac dysrhythmia, the faints do not depend on the patient's position.

Estimates of lifetime incidence of at least one syncopal episode include 40-50% of the general populace.

The aim of therapy is to minimize ventricular ectopy, eliminate syncopal episodes, and prevent sudden cardiac death.

If the individual had a syncopal episode, about half the time it is due to hemorrhage into the pericardium leading to pericardial tamponade.

Unfortunately, in some cases oral antiarrhythmic medications may be proarrhythmic, and can exacerbate the arrhythmia and syncopal episodes.

A typical story is of a youngster who has a syncopal episode while running across the school playground and is then sent for a neurological evaluation to exclude a seizure disorder.

As Dr. Julian M. Stewart, an expert in OI from New York Medical College states, "Many syncopal patients have no intercurrent illness; between faints, they are well."

According to McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine 2002, presyncope is "An episode of near-fainting which may include lightheadedness, dizziness, severe weakness, blurred vision, which may precede a syncopal episode."