Red Flags of Syncope

Cardiac syncope may lead to a high mortality rate of approximately 10% at 1 year and is, therefore, vital to identify potentially life-threatening cardiac causes¹.

Below are considered reds flags for urgent referral to a Cardiologist:

Persistent bradycardia- heart rates < 60 bpm
Abnormal structural heart conditions, (presence of a cardiac murmur)
Decreased left ventricular ejection fractions < 35%
Long QT syndrome
Brugada syndrome
Ventricular pre-excitation conditions (such as Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome)
Pathological q waves
Sustained atrial arrhythmias
Ventricular arrhythmias
Syncope whilst exercising
Syncope whilst supine
Sudden cardiac death in family < 40 years old
> 65 years old, with syncope in absence of prodrome².

Learn more about the diagnosis of syncope here.

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