The DOI matches its Crossref record; 44 of the 44 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Prospective Validation of the San Francisco Syncope Rule to Predict Patients With Serious Outcomes
Abstract
Study objective We prospectively validate the San Francisco Syncope Rule (history of congestive heart failure, Hematocrit <30%, abnormal ECG result [new changes or non-sinus rhythm], complaint of shortness of breath, and systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg during triage).Methods In a prospective cohort study, consecutive patients with syncope or near syncope presenting to an emergency department (ED) of a teaching hospital were identified and enrolled from July 15, 2002, to August 31, 2004. Patients with trauma, alcohol, or drug-associated loss of consciousness and definite seizures were excluded. Physicians prospectively applied the San Francisco Syncope Rule after their evaluation, and patients were followed up to determine whether they had had a predefined serious outcome within 30 days of their ED visit.Results Seven hundred ninety-one consecutive visits were evaluated for syncope, representing 1.2% of all ED visits. The average age was 61 years, 54% of patients were women, and 59% of patients were admitted. Fifty-three visits (6.7%) resulted in patients having serious outcomes that were undeclared during their ED visit. The rule was 98% sensitive (95% confidence interval [CI] 89% to 100%) and 56% specific (95% CI 52% to 60%) to predict these events. In this cohort, the San Francisco Syncope Rule classified 52% of the patients as high risk, potentially decreasing overall admissions by 7%. If the rule had been applied only to the 453 patients admitted, it might have decreased admissions by 24%.Conclusion The San Francisco Syncope Rule performed with high sensitivity and specificity in this validation cohort and is a valuable tool to help risk stratify patients. It may help with physician decisionmaking and improve the use of hospital admission for syncope.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Arrhythmic syncope is highly probable when the ECG shows 25-39 : • Persistent sinus bradycardia <40 b.p.m. or sinus pauses >3 s in awake state and in absence of physical training; • Mobitz II second- and third-degree AV block; • Alternating left and right BBB; • VT or rapid paroxysmal SVT;”
From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [26]
In the citing paper
“Structural heart disease 25-27,31,35,36,45 and primary electrical disease 46 are major risk factors for sudden cardiac death (SCD) and overall mortality in patients with syncope.”
From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [26]
In the citing paper
“Cardiac ischaemia-related syncope is confirmed when syncope presents with evidence of acute myocardial ischaemia with or without myocardial infarction. 25-39”
From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [26]
In the citing paper
“A substantial proportion of serious adverse events are not apparent during initial evaluation in the emergency”
From Development of the Canadian Syncope Risk Score to predict serious adverse events after emergency department assessment of syncope (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
In the citing paper
“Syncope can be caused by serious conditions not evident during initial evaluation, which can lead to serious adverse events, including death, after disposition from the emergency department.”
From Development of the Canadian Syncope Risk Score to predict serious adverse events after emergency department assessment of syncope (2016) · cites this paper as [6]
Citations
Cites
Incidence and Prognosis of Syncope
Soteriades, E. S., Evans, J. C., Larson, M. G., Chen, M. H., Chen, L., Benjamin, E. J., & Levy, D. (2002) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa012407 · Cited by 1,364
Clinical Prediction Rules: Applications and Methodological Standards
Wasson, J. H., Sox, H. C., Neff, R. K., & Goldman, L. (1985) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm198509263131306 · Cited by 1,357
The Canadian C-Spine Rule for Radiography in Alert and Stable Trauma Patients
Stiell, I. G. (2001) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.286.15.1841 · Cited by 1,293
Self-citationLaupacis, A. (1997) · JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association · doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03540300056034 · Cited by 793
A Prospective Evaluation and Follow-up of Patients with Syncope
Kapoor, W. N., Karpf, M., Wieand, S., Peterson, J. R., & Levey, G. S. (1983) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm198307283090401 · Cited by 779
Methodologic Standards for the Development of Clinical Decision Rules in Emergency Medicine
STIELL, I., & WELLS, G. (1999) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(99)70309-4 · Cited by 571
Self-citationGuidelines on management (diagnosis and treatment) of syncope-update 2004. Executive Summary.
Brignole, M., Alboni, P., Benditt, D. G., Bergfeldt, L., Blanc, J., Thomsen, P. E. B., van Dijk, J. G., Fitzpatrick, A. P., Hohnloser, S. H., Janoušek, J., et al. (2004) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1016/j.ehj.2004.09.004 · Cited by 566
Linzer, M., Yang, E. H., Estes III, N. A. M., Wang, P., Vorperian, V. R., & Kapoor, W. N. (1997) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-126-12-199706150-00012 · Cited by 437
Derivation of the San Francisco Syncope Rule to predict patients with short-term serious outcomes
Quinn, J. V., Stiell, I. G., McDermott, D. A., Sellers, K. L., Kohn, M. A., & Wells, G. A. (2004) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(03)00823-0 · Cited by 432
Self-citationColivicchi, F. (2003) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1016/s0195-668x(02)00827-8 · Cited by 359
CLINICAL GUIDELINE: Diagnosing Syncope: Part 2: Unexplained Syncope
Linzer, M., Yang, E. H., Estes, N. A. M., Wang, P., Vorperian, V. R., & Kapoor, W. N. (1997) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-127-1-199707010-00014 · Cited by 313
Syncope in advanced heart failure: high risk of sudden death regardless of origin of syncope
Middlekauff, H. R., Stevenson, W. G., Stevenson, L. W., & Saxon, L. A. (1993) · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/0735-1097(93)90724-f · Cited by 311
Direct medical costs of syncope-related hospitalizations in the United States
Sun, B. C., Emond, J. A., & Camargo, C. A. (2005) · The American Journal of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2004.11.013 · Cited by 305
Prospective evaluation and outcome of patients admitted for syncope over a 1 year period
Blanc, J. (2002) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1053/euhj.2001.2975 · Cited by 303
Risk stratification of patients with syncope
Martin, T. P., Hanusa, B. H., & Kapoor, W. N. (1997) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(97)70217-8 · Cited by 285
Kapoor, W. N. (1982) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.247.19.2687 · Cited by 230
Wayne, H. H. (1961) · The American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/0002-9343(61)90051-1 · Cited by 161
Agreement Between Peripheral Venous and Arterial Lactate Levels
Gallagher, E. J., Rodriguez, K., & Touger, M. (1997) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(97)70220-8 · Cited by 144
A risk score to predict arrhythmias in patients with unexplained syncope
Sarasin, F. P., Hanusa, B. H., Perneger, T., Louis‐Simonet, M., Rajeswaran, A., & Kapoor, W. N. (2003) · Academic Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1197/s1069-6563(03)00535-9 · Cited by 118
Does the use of a syncope diagnostic protocol improve the investigation and management of syncope?
Farwell, D. J., & Sulke, A. N. (2004) · Heart · doi:10.1136/heart.90.1.52 · Cited by 109
Pires, L. A., Ganji, J. R., Jarandila, R., & Steele, R. (2001) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinte.161.15.1889 · Cited by 106
Long-term prognosis of patients undergoing electrophysiologic studies for syncope of unknown origin
Bass, E. B., Elson, J. J., Fogoros, R. N., Peterson, J., Arena, V. C., & Kapoor, W. N. (1988) · The American Journal of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/0002-9149(88)90257-3 · Cited by 103
Risk stratification of patients with syncope in an accident and emergency department
Crane, S. (2002) · Emergency Medicine Journal · doi:10.1136/emj.19.1.23 · Cited by 98
(2001) · Annals of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1067/mem.2001.114838 · Cited by 89
The San Francisco Syncope Rule vs physician judgment and decision making
Quinn, J., Stiell, I. G., McDermott, D. A., Kohn, M. A., & Wells, G. A. (2005) · The American Journal of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2004.11.009 · Cited by 75
Self-citationPrognosis after syncope: Impact of left ventricular function
Middlekauff, H. R., Stevenson, W. G., & Saxon, L. A. (1993) · American Heart Journal · doi:10.1016/0002-8703(93)90064-g · Cited by 60
Elesber, A. A., Decker, W. W., Smars, P. A., Hodge, D. O., & Shen, W.-K. (2005) · American Heart Journal · doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2004.07.024 · Cited by 56
Syncope — Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Maisel, W. H., & Stevenson, W. G. (2002) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejme020102 · Cited by 54
Syncope as an Emergency Department Presentation of Pulmonary Embolism
Wolfe, T. R., & Allen, T. L. (1998) · Journal of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0736-4679(97)00228-x · Cited by 47
Do patients with a negative Emergency Department evaluation for syncope require hospital admission?
Morag, R. M., Murdock, L. F., Khan, Z. A., Heller, M. J., & Brenner, B. E. (2004) · Journal of Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2004.04.017 · Cited by 38
Del Greco, M., Cozzio, S., Scillieri, M., Caprari, F., Scivales, A., & Disertori, M. (2003) · PubMed · Cited by 36
Acute cardiac ischemia in patients with syncope
Georgeson, S., Linzer, M., Griffith, J. L., Weld, L. H., & Selker, H. P. (1992) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1007/bf02599151 · Cited by 34
Admission for syncope: evaluation, cost and prognosis.
Schillinger, M., Domanovits, H., Müllner, M., Herkner, H., & Laggner, A. N. (2000) · PubMed · Cited by 32
Cost-effectiveness of in-hospital evaluation of patients with syncope.
Mozes, B., Confino‐Cohen, R., & Halkin, H. (1988) · PubMed · Cited by 28
Dı́az-Castro, Ó., Puchol, A., Almendral, J. M., Torrecilla, E. G., Arenal, Á., & Martínez‐Sellés, M. (2004) · Journal of Electrocardiology · doi:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2003.10.003 · Cited by 19
Investigation of syncope: increasing the yield and reducing the cost
Zaidi, A. M. (2000) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1053/euhj.1999.2058 · Cited by 17
Quinn, J., & Durski, K. (2004) · Academic Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1197/j.aem.2004.08.020 · Cited by 16
Self-citationThe Management of Syncope in a British Emergency Department Compared to Recent American Guidelines
Thakore, S., Crombie, I. K., & Johnston, M. (1999) · Scottish Medical Journal · doi:10.1177/003693309904400510 · Cited by 12
von Dohlen, T. W., & Frank, M. J. (1989) · Postgraduate Medicine · doi:10.1080/00325481.1989.11704355 · Cited by 8
Quinn, J., & Durski, K. (2004) · Academic Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1553-2712.2004.tb00711.x · Cited by 6
Self-citationBartoletti, A., Fabiani, P., Gianni, R., Cappelletti, C., Gm, S., Fortini, A., Adriani, P., Baccetti, F., Buffini, G., Lavacchi, A., et al. (2004) · PubMed · Cited by 3
D'Costa, D. F. (1993) · Age and Ageing · doi:10.1093/ageing/22.5.391 · Cited by 2
A more cost-effective evaluation of syncope.
Pe, B. (1985) · PubMed · Cited by 2
Admission of Low-risk Patients with Syncope
Quinn, J. N. (2005) · Academic Emergency Medicine · doi:10.1197/j.aem.2005.03.356 · Cited by 1
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Gallagher, 1997, Hospitalization for fainting, Ann Emerg Med., 29, 540
- Schillinger, 2000, Admission for syncope, Wien Klin Wochenschr, 112, 835
- Bartoletti, 2004, After the 2001 European Society of Cardiology guidelines, Minerva Med., 95, 451
- Del Greco, 2003, Diagnostic pathway of syncope and analysis of the impact of guidelines in a district general hospital, Ital Heart J., 4, 99
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Developed in collaboration with, European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Heart Failure Association (HFA), and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), societies, E. B. T. F., European Society of Emergency Medicine (EuSEM), European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM), European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), European Neurological Society (ENS), et al. (2009) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehp298 · Cited by 2,040
2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope
Brignole, M., Moya, A., de Lange, F. J., Deharo, J.-C., Elliott, P. M., Fanciulli, A., Fedorowski, A., Furlan, R., Kenny, R. A., Martín, A., et al. (2018) · European Heart Journal · doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehy037 · Cited by 1,951
European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Adult advanced life support
Soar, J., Böttiger, B. W., Carli, P. A., Couper, K., Deakin, C. D., Djärv, T., Lott, C., Olasveengen, T. M., Paal, P., Pellis, T., et al. (2021) · Resuscitation · doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.02.010 · Cited by 1,255
2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope
Shen, W.-K., Sheldon, R. S., Benditt, D. G., Cohen, M. I., Forman, D. E., Goldberger, Z. D., Grubb, B. P., Hamdan, M. H., Krahn, A. D., Link, M. S., et al. (2017) · Heart Rhythm · doi:10.1016/j.hrthm.2017.03.004 · Cited by 478
2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope
Brignole, M., Moya‐Mitjans, À., de Lange, F. J., Deharo, J., Elliot, P. M., Fanciulli, A., Fedorowski, A., Furlan, R., Kenny, R. A., Martiın, A., et al. (2018) · Kardiologia Polska · doi:10.5603/kp.2018.0161 · Cited by 475
Metadata
- Authors
- Quinn, J., McDermott, D., Stiell, I., Kohn, M., & Wells, G.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Quinn, James
- Venue
- Annals of Emergency Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-05
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 448-454
- ISSN
- 0196-0644 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2119384358
- Cited by
- 309
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 21.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of Emergency Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (7k23ar002137-05)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (K23 AR002137-050)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Emergency and Acute Care Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
- Keywords
- San Francisco Syncope Rule, syncope, presyncope, risk stratification, emergency department triage, congestive heart failure, hematocrit, electrocardiographic abnormalities, dyspnea, hypotension, hospitalization, diagnostic accuracy
- MeSH terms
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac, Attitude of Health Personnel, Clinical Protocols, Emergency Medicine, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Sensitivity and Specificity, Syncope, Cohort Studies, Risk Assessment
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review