Syncope- a common challenge to medical practitioners

Syncope is a common presentation in medical practice, and is associated with a higher than normal risk of mortality and morbidity in older individualsIt is essential that an accurate clinical history of the episode described as syncope be obtained, including the events preceding, the observations of eye-witnesses, and the post-syncopal period, in order to make a diagnosisThe immediate role of the general practitioner is to identify any injury associated with syncope, and recognize dangerous clinical diagnoses that could mimic syncope and initiate potentially life-saving therapies The elective evaluation of the patient with syncope is most cost-effectively managed by centers with the experience and resources to perform the investigations require