Clinical trial: Eastbourne Syncope Assessment Study II (NCT00517023)

Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

          -  Age > = 16 yrs

          -  Acute syncope presentation to MAU or A+E

          -  2 or more unexplained syncopes within the past 24 months including index episode

          -  Normal baseline ECG

          -  Absence of co - existing pathology requiring admission

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  Suspected or known heart disease

          -  ECG abnormalities suspected of arrhythmic syncope listed in Table 1

          -  Syncope occurring during exercise

          -  Syncope causing severe injury

          -  Family history of sudden death

          -  Sudden onset palpitations prior to syncope

        Table 1: ECG Abnormalities:

          -  Bifascicular block (defined as LBBB or RBBB combined with left anterior or left
             posterior fascicular block)

          -  Other intraventricular abnormalities (QRS duration >= 0.12s)

          -  Mobitz 1 second degree AV block (Wenckebach)

          -  Asymptomatic sinus bradycardia (<50 bpm), SA node or sinus pause >= 3s in the absence
             of negatively chronotropic medications

          -  Pre-excited QRS with short PR interval (WPW)

          -  Significantly Prolonged QT interval

          -  RBBB pattern with ST elevation in V1 - V3 (Brugada Syndrome)

          -  Negative T waves with ST segment elevation in right precordial leads suggestive of
             arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia

          -  Significant Q waves (>= 0.02s) suggestive of MI
No condition on gender to be admitted to the trial.
No healthy subjects accepted to join the trial.
Subject must be at least 16 Years old.


Patient description (medical language): A 23-year-old man comes to the emergency department following an episode of syncope.  He was working out when he felt dizzy and passed out without head injury.  He has had 3 other episodes of light-headedness over the last year, all happening during physical activity. He never had this experience while resting. He has no other medical conditions.  The patient does not use tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs.  His father died suddenly at age 35.  Vital signs are within normal limits.  On physical examination, the patient has a harsh systolic murmur.  The lungs are clear with no peripheral edema. Echocardiography shows asymmetric interventricular septal hypertrophy.

Patient description (patient's own words): I'm 23, and I got admitted to the ER because I fainted all of a sudden. I was in the gym, working out, when all of a sudden, I just got dizzy and passed out. Hopefully, I didn't hit my head. It's not my first time having that kind of dizziness at the gym, never when I'm chilling at home tho. I don't have any special medical conditions and I'm not even smoking, drinking or doing drugs! My dad died suddenly when he was 35, so I'm kind of scared. My vitals were normal while at the ER and they did a physical exam and they told me my heart sounds abnormal. My lungs are ok, but I had to do an echography of my heart, and they told me it is bigger than average.

Does the patient match the trial criteria? Contradiction