Etiology of syncope in patients hospitalized with syncope and predictors of mortality and rehospitalization for syncope at 27-month follow-up.

The authors investigated the etiologies of syncope and risk factors for mortality and rehospitalization for syncope at 27-month follow-up in 325 consecutive patients, mean age 66 years, hospitalized for syncope. The causes of syncope were diagnosed in 241 patients (74%). Of 325 patients, 13 (4%) were rehospitalized for syncope and 38 (12%) died. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that significant independent prognostic factors for rehospitalization for syncope were diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 5.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-20.4), atrial fibrillation (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.0-15.6), and smoking (OR, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.3-16.8). Stepwise Cox regression analysis showed that significant independent prognostic factors for time to mortality were diabetes (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4-5.2), coronary artery bypass graft surgery (HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.5), malignancy history (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2-5.2), narcotics use (HR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.7-9.8), smoking (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.5), atrial fibrillation (HR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0-5.4), and volume depletion (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.8).