Blackouts Flashcards
What is a blackout?
Loss of conscious due to syncopal causes or nonsyncopal causes (hypoperfusion to the brain)
List four syncopal
Reflex (vasovagal syncope, carotid sinus hypersensitivity and situational syncope)
Cardiac
Orthostatic
Cerebrovascular
Non-syncopal causes of blackout
Intoxication Head trauma Metabolic Psychogenic Epileptic Narcolepsy
List some cardiac
Arrythmias
Cause of cerebrovascular syncopal
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency
What drop in BP causes orthostatic hypotension?
20mmHg systolic drop
10mmHg systolic drop
Cause of cerebrovascular syncopal blackout
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency
Precipitating factor
Postural triggers
Head turning indicates carotid sinus hypersensitivity
Whilst sitting or lying - cardiac arrhthmia
Exericse - primary cardiac pathology e..g aortic stenosis
head trauma
Ask if on warfarin
Questions about the episode
How long?
Did they bite their tongue?
Twitching and incontinence?
Recovery
Name two causes of short lived blackouts
Vasovagal episode
Arrhythmia
??????? recovery
Postictal confusion - takes epileptic patients about half an hour to regain their senses
Name a specific type of cardiac syncope
Stokes-adams attack
Name a specific type of cardiac syncope
Stokes-Adams attack
Explain the Stokes-Adams attack
Sudden LOC due to a third degree block or any kind of sinoatrial disease leading to loss of CO
This results in a circulatory arrest, resulting in blood staying in the lungs, so once everything gets going again, the patient looks very rosey