Rationale and Comments

In patients with witnessed syncope, but with no suggestion of seizure and no report of other neurologic symptoms or signs, the likelihood of a central nervous system cause of the event is extremely low and patient outcomes are not improved with brain imaging studies.

Sponsoring Organizations

• American College of Physicians

Sources

• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines
• American College of Radiology guidelines

Disciplines

• Neurologic

References

• ACR-ASNR Practice guideline for the performance of computed tomography (CT). 2010. http://www.asnr.org/sites/default/files/guidelines/CT_Brain.pdf.
  
• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Transient loss of consciousness in adults and young people. August 2010. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG109.