The effect of paediatric syncope on health-related quality of life
Abstract
Background: Syncope is common in children and adolescents and most commonly represents neurocardiogenic syncope. No information has been reported regarding the effect of syncope on health-related quality of life in children. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients seen in the Heart Institute Syncope Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center between July, 2009 and June, 2010. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL™ tool. PedsQL™ scores were compared with both healthy historical controls and historical controls with chronic illnesses. Results: A total of 106 patients were included for analysis. In all, 90% were Caucasian and 63% were girls. The median age was 15.1 years (8.2–21.6). Compared with healthy controls, patients had lower PedsQL™ scores: Total score (75.2 versus 83.8, p < 0.0001); Physical Health Summary (78.8 versus 87.5, p < 0.0001); Psychosocial Health Summary (73.9 versus 81.9, p < 0.001), Emotional Functioning (68.9 versus 79.3, p < 0.001); and School Functioning (66.4 versus 81.1, p < 0.001). No difference was seen in Social Functioning (86.2 versus 85.2, p = 0.81). Patients also had lower PedsQL™ Total scores than patients with diabetes mellitus (p < 0.0001) and similar scores to patients with asthma, end-stage renal disease, obesity, and structural heart disease. Conclusion: Children with syncope, although typically benign in aetiology, can have low health-related quality of life.
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There is consistent evidence that syncope is associated with worse function on multiple domains of quality of life, such as perceptions of low overall physical health; perception of mental health, including increased fear, somatization, depression, and anxiety; and impairment in activities of daily living, such as driving, working, and attending school.
“There is consistent evidence that syncope is associated with worse function on multiple domains of QoL, such as perceptions of low overall physical health (725,730,734); perception of mental health, including increased fear, somatization, depression, and anxiety (725,727,728,731,734); and impairment in activities of daily living, such as driving, working, and attending school.”
From 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope (2017) · cites this paper as [725]
Quality of life is reduced with recurrent syncope.
“QoL is reduced with recurrent syncope (725–733), as demonstrated in studies that compared patients with and without syncope (727,731).”
From 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope (2017) · cites this paper as [725]
Pediatric patients with recurrent syncope reported worse quality of life than individuals with diabetes mellitus and equivalent quality of life to individuals with asthma, end-stage renal disease, and structural heart disease.
“Similarly, pediatric patients with recurrent syncope reported worse QoL than individuals with diabetes mellitus and equivalent QoL to individuals with asthma, end-stage renal disease, and structural heart disease (725).”
From 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope (2017) · cites this paper as [725]
Quality of life is reduced with recurrent syncope, as demonstrated in studies that compared patients with and without syncope.
“QoL is reduced with recurrent syncope (397–405), as demonstrated in studies that compared patients with and without syncope (399,405).”
From 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope: Executive Summary (2017) · cites this paper as [397]
Pediatric patients with recurrent syncope reported worse quality of life than individuals with diabetes mellitus and equivalent quality of life to individuals with asthma, end-stage renal disease, and structural heart disease.
“Similarly, pediatric patients with recurrent syncope reported worse QoL than individuals with diabetes mellitus and equivalent QoL to individuals with asthma, end-stage renal disease, and structural heart disease (397).”
From 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope: Executive Summary (2017) · cites this paper as [397]
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The PedsQLTM 4.0 as a School Population Health Measure: Feasibility, Reliability, and Validity
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Impairment of physical and psychosocial function in recurrent syncope
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Clinical Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Patients with Transient Loss of Consciousness
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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 484 · see citing works
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) · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2017.03.003 · Cited by 327 · see citing works
Pediatric Disorders of Orthostatic Intolerance
Stewart, J. M., Boris, J. R., Chelimsky, G., Fischer, P. R., Fortunato, J. E., Grubb, B. P., Heyer, G. L., Jarjour, I. T., Medow, M. S., Numan, M. T., et al. (2018) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2017-1673 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
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) · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2017.03.002 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Do Implantable Loop Recorders Impact the Survival of Patients with Recurrent Unexplained Syncope?
Perings, C., Wolff, C., Wilk, A., Witthohn, A., Voss, R., & Rybak, K. (2021) · Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research · doi:10.2217/cer-2020-0242 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Anderson, J. B., Czosek, R. J., Knilans, T. K., & Marino, B. S.
- Affiliations
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Anderson, Jeffrey B.
- Venue
- Cardiology in the Young
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2012-02-21
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 583-588
- ISSN
- 1047-9511 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-1107
- OpenAlex
- W2009719379
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cardiology in the Young (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic Disorders
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Keywords
- health-related quality of life, vasovagal syncope, children and adolescents, PedsQL, psychosocial functioning, school functioning, diabetes mellitus
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Male, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Retrospective Studies, Syncope, Time Factors, Reproducibility of Results, Young Adult
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