Distinguishing Benign Syncope from Life-Threatening Cardiac Causes of Syncope

Syncope, defined as the temporary loss of consiousness and postural tone resulting from an abrupt transient decrease in cerebral blood flow, is a common usually benign self-limiting event. However, rarely, it may be the first warning sign of a serious condition including arrhythmias, structural heart disease, or non-cardiac disease. This article presents a differential diagnosis of syncope in children with an emphasis on neurocardiogenic syncope, details important positives and negatives in the history and physical exam that would suggest cardiac syncope and gives recommendations on when to refer a child for syncope to a pediatric cardiologist.