Physical Examination – Overview

The majority of patients with syncope will have a normal physical examination. However, it is important to exclude serious underlying pathology in the minority. Although syncope is often seen as a neurological presentation, cardiac causes of syncope are more common than neurological (and often carry a poorer prognosis), and so a thorough cardiovascular examination is required. It is crucial to identify evidence of cardiac failure or valve lesions.

Learning bite

Cardiac causes of syncope are more common than neurological causes and often carry a poorer prognosis