Is the San Francisco syncope rule reliable?

摘要

Bob: Family physicians are commonly asked to evaluate patients who have had a transient loss of consciousness. Estimates suggest that 1 to 3 percent of emergency department (ED) visits are for syncope. Although these episodes are often benign in origin, they can be a signal of an underlying pathologic process associated with significant morbidity and mortality (e.g., malignant cardiac arrhythmias). The family physician often has to decide whether to hospitali2e these patients for further evaluation or discharge them.