logo_hcam

Revista Médica Científica CAMbios

Periodicidad semestral: flujo continuo.

ISSN - Electrónico: 2661-6947 / DOI: 10.36015 • LILACS BIREME (19784); LATINDEX (20666)

Ver PDF (Spanish)

Keywords

Syncope/diagnosis
Emergencies
Unconsciousness
Pediatrics
Syncope/ etiology

How to Cite

1.
Diagnosis and treatment of syncope in pediatric emergencies: systematic narrative review. Cambios rev. méd. [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 19 [cited 2026 Jan. 3];24(2):e1078. Available from: https://revistahcam.iess.gob.ec/index.php/cambios/article/view/1078

Abstract

Syncope in pediatric emergencies constitutes a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, due to potential benign and potentially serious etiologies, requiring a systematic and multidisciplinary approach to ensure early detection and appropriate management. The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic management of syncope in pediatric emergencies based on scientific evidence. A systematic narrative review of the literature on syncope in pediatric emergencies was conducted from 2019 to 2025, in accordance with the PRISMA declaration guidelines. The literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Scielo. Outcomes of interest included the unification of definitions, etiology, diagnostic and therapeutic criteria, and complementary tests for the management of syncope in pediatric emergency departments. The following studies were included (9 systematic reviews, 3 meta-analyses, 1 controlled clinical trial, 3 clinical practice guidelines, 2 protocols, 13 narrative reviews, and 10 scientific articles). Diagnostic and therapeutic criteria for the management of syncope in pediatric emergencies were consolidated. In conclusion, the management of syncope in pediatric emergencies requires a systematic diagnostic approach focused on a detailed clinical history and a thorough physical examination, taking into consideration warning signs and associated comorbidities. It is essential to prioritize adequate hydration and increased salt intake, in addition to providing health education to the patient and their family.

Ver PDF (Spanish)

References

1. Fernández R, Gonzalez J. Diagnóstico y tratamiento del síncope. Sociedad Española de Urgencias Pediatricas. 2020; 1:177-182. Disponible en: https://www.aeped.es/sites/default/files/documentos/

14_sincope.pdf

2. Williams E, Farhaan K, Claydon V. Counter pressure maneuvers for syncope prevention: A semi-systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022; 9:1016420. Disponible en:

http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.1016420

3. Alghamdi M, Alshahrani F, Aldihan F, Alamer N, Al Dihan F,

Omair A, Suliman I, Mohamud M. Knowledge and awareness

of syncope among the population of Riyadh: A cross-sectional

study. Cureus. 2022;14(8): e28499. Disponible en:

http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.28499

4. Viadero M, Fernández N, Garde J, Díaz M. Síncope en la edad

pediátrica. Bol Pediatr. 2021 Jan. 1;61(255):42-5. Disponible en:

https://boletindepediatria.org/boletin/article/view/143

5. Ferreira R, Leite P, Fonseca H, Alves Z, de Carvalho C. Neurally Mediated Syncope in Children and Adolescents: An

Updated Narrative Review. Open Cardiovasc Med J, 2022;

16: e187419242205110. Disponible en: https://opencardiovascularmedicinejournal.com/VOLUME/16/ELOCATOR/e187419242205110/

6. Gundogdu Coban D, Coban M, Muhammet M, Serdar POP, Oner O. A systematic review for clinical assessment of syncope pediatric patients. Arch Emerg Med Intensive Care. 2021;4(1):9–13. Disponible en: https://sryahwapublications.com/article/abstract/

2638-5007.0401002

7. Li HX, Gao L, Yuan Y. Advance in the understanding of vasovagal syncope in children and adolescents. World J Pediatr. 2021;17(1):58–62. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12519-020-00367-z

8. Cuzzocrea G, Fontana A, Mascanzoni M, Manca F, Pecora R, Trani L, Guido C, Spalice A, Versacci P, Sideli L, Caretti V. Psychopathological correlates and psychosocial functioning in children and adolescents with syncope: A systematic review. Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2024;21(5):358–75. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240502. Available from:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39540075/

9. Hutse I, Coppens M, Herbelet S, Seyssens L, Marks L. Syncope in dental practices: A systematic review on aetiology and management. J Evid Based Dent Pract. 2021;21(3):101581. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jebdp.2021.101581. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S1532338221000567?via%3Dihub

10. Khalaji A, Behnoush A, Tajdini M. Association between vitamin D deficiency and vasovagal syncope: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Cardiol. 2023;46(7):721–8. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/clc.24035. Available from:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/clc.24035

11. Karaca S, Özbingöl D, Karaca P, Yavuz M, Nişli K. Pediatric

syncope: An examination of diagnostic processes, therapeutic

approaches and the role of the tilt test: Insights from an 18-year single-center experience. Children (Basel). 2025;12(4). Disponible en:

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/4/459

12. Sutton R, Ricci F, Fedorowski A. Risk stratification of syncope: Current syncope guidelines and beyond. Auton Neurosci.2022; 238:102929. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102929. Available from:

https://www.autonomicneuroscience.com/article/S1566-0702(21)00159-4/fulltext

13. Salari N, Karimi Z, Hemmati M, Mohammadi A, Shohaimi S, Mohammadi M. Global prevalence of vasovagal syncope: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Glob Epidemiol. 2024;7(100136):100136. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloepi.2024.100136.

Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S2590113324000026?via%3Dihub

14. Stewart JM, van Dijk JG, Balaji S, Sutton R. A framework to

simplify paediatric syncope diagnosis. Eur J Pediatr. 2023;

182(11):4771–80. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/

s00431-023-05114-w. Available from: https://link.springer.com/

article/10.1007/s00431-023-05114-w

15. Thijs RD, Brignole M, Falup-Pecurariu C, Fanciulli A, Freeman R, Guaraldi P, Jordan J, Habek M, Hilz M,Pavy-LeTraon A, Stankovic I, Struhal W, Sutton R, Wenning G, van Dijk G. Recommendations for tilt table testing and other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests in conditions that may cause transient loss of consciousness: Consensus statement of the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS) endorsed by the American Autonomic Society (AAS) and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). Auton Neurosci. 2021;233(102792):102792. Disponible en:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102792. Available from: https://www.autonomicneuroscience.com/article/S1566-0702(21)00022-9/fulltext

16. Furlan L, Jacobitti Esposito G, Gianni F, Solbiati M, Mancusi C, Costantino G. Syncope in the emergency department: A practical approach. J Clin Med. 2024;13(11):3231. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jcm13113231. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38892942/

17. Liao Y, Du J. Pathophysiology and individualized management of vasovagal syncope and postural tachycardia syndrome in children and adolescents: An update. Neurosci Bull. 2020;36(6):667–81. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12264-020-00497-4.

Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12264-020-00497-4

18. Bhandari N 0& Zaidi A. An urgent care approach to syncope

in children and adolescents. Pediatric Urgent Care. 2021.

Disponible en línea.

https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-151129-33-Pediatric-Urgent-Care.pdf

19. Kaza N, Sorbini M, Liu Z, Johal M, Porter B, Nowbar A, Levy

S, Dani M, Taraborelli P, Eardley P, Zuhair M, Arnold A, Howard

J, Whinnett Z, Francis D, Shun-Shin M, Boon Lim P, Keene

D. Therapeutic options for neurocardiogenic syncope: a meta-

analysis of randomised trials with and without blinding: Open

Heart 2024;11:e002669. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2024-002669. Available from: https://openheart.bmj.com/content/11/1/e002669

20. Tao C, Cui Y, Zhang C, Liu X, Zhang Q, Liu P, Zhang Q, Liu P,

Wang Y, Du J, Jin H. Clinical efficacy of empirical therapy in children with vasovagal syncope. Children (Basel). 2022;9(7):1065. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/children9071065. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35884049/

21. Wang Y, Wang Y, Li X, Du J, Zhang H, Jin H, Liao Y. Efficacy

of increased salt and water intake on pediatric vasovagal syncope: A meta-analysis based on global published data. Front Pediatr. 2021; 9:663016. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.663016. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8155624/

22. Lei LY, Raj S, Sheldon R. Midodrine for the prevention of vasovagal syncope: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Europace. 2022;24(7):1171–8. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/europace/euab323. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/24/7/1171/6506557

23. Yi S, Kong Y, Kim S. Fludrocortisone in pediatric vasovagal syncope: A retrospective, single-center observational study. J Clin Neurol. 2021;17(1):46–51. Disponible en: https://thejcn.com/DOIx.php?id=10.3988/jcn.2021.17.1.46

24. Zhu W, Bian X, Lv J. Advances in diagnosis, management, and long-term outcomes of pediatric vasovagal syncope: a comprehensive review. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025; 12:1481749. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2025.1481749. Available from:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40351605/

25. Ahmadi A, Sabri M, Navabi Z, Dehghan B, Taheri M, Mahdavi C. The impact of self-care recommendations with and without tilt-training on Quality of Life in children and adolescents with vasovagal syncope: A randomized clinical trial. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2024;29(3):358–67. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_137_23. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/jnmr/fulltext/2024/29030/the_impact_of_self_care_recommendations recommendations_

with_and.13.aspx

26. Hockin B, Heeney N, Whitehurst D, Claydon V. Evaluating the impact of orthostatic syncope and presyncope on quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022; 9:834879. Disponible en: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-

medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2022.834879/full

27. Martone A, Parrini I, Ciciarello F, Galluzzo V, Cacciatore S, Massaro C, Giordano R, Giani T, Landi G, Massimo M, Colivicchi F, Gabrielli D, Oliva F, Zuccala G. Recent advances and future directions in syncope management: A comprehensive narrative review. J Clin Med. 2024;13(3). Disponible en: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/3/727

28. Uppoor R, Patel K. Syncope: Diagnostic Yield of various clinical investigations. Cureus. 2022;14(3): e23596. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.23596. Available from: https://www.cureus.com/articles/90319-syncope-diagnostic-yield-of-various-clinical-investigations#!/

29. El_deen Z, Nazeer M, Ahmed F. Evaluation of children with syncope: A clinical audit at Assiut University Children Hospital. J Curr Med Res Pract. 2023;8(4):195–201. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/jcmrp.jcmrp_65_23. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/cmrp/fulltext/2023/08040/evaluation_of_children_with_syncope__a_clinical.6.aspx

30. González J, Perez M. Síncope. Seup.org. 4 Ed. 2024. Disponible en:

https://seup.org/wp-ontent/uploads/2024/04/14_Sincope_4ed.

pdf.

31. Yeom J, Woo H. Pediatric syncope: pearls and pitfalls in history taking. Clin Exp Pediatr. 2023;66(3):88–97. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.3345/cep.2022.00451. Available from: https://www.e-cep.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.3345/cep.2022.00451

32. Franjić, S. Syncope in children. Journal of Pediatrics Neonatal Biology, 2022. 7(1), 63–67. Disponible en: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/86153472/Syncope_in_Children-libre.pdf

33. Zavala R, Metais B, Tuckfield L, DelVecchio M, Aronoff S.

Pediatric syncope: A systematic review. Pediatr Emerg Care.

2020;36(9):442–5. Disponible en: https://journals.lww.com/

pec-online/fulltext/2020/09000/pediatric_syncope__a_systematic_

review.7.aspx

34. Canakci M, Sevik O, Acar N. How should we approach syncope in the emergency department? Current perspectives. Open Access Emerg Med. 2022; 14:299–309. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/OAEM.S247023. Available from: https://www.dovepress.com/how-should-we-approach-syncope-in-the-emergencydepartment-

current-per-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OAEM

35. Krishna M, Kunde M. A clinical approach to syncope. Indian Journal of Practical Pediatrics. 2020;22(1): 92. Disponible en: https://es.scribd.com/document/471679086/A-clinical-approach-to-syncope

36. Choi Y, Han M, Lee E. Children with transient loss of consciousness: Clinical characteristics and the effectiveness of diagnostic tests. Pediatr Neonatol. 2020;61(6):584–91. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedneo.2020.06.006. Available from:

https://www.pediatr-neonatol.com/article/S1875-9572(20)30099-1/fulltext

37. Wang C, Wang S, Doi S, Liao Y, Du J, Jin H. Diagnosis and treatment of neurally mediated syncope in children and adolescents: A hot issue in pediatrics. Medicine Plus. 2024;1(4):100061. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.medp.2024.100061. Available

from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S2950347724000574?via%3Dihub

38. Wang C, Liao Y, Wang S, Tian H, Huang M, Dong X-Y, Shi L,

Li Y, Sun J, Du J, Jin H. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of neurally mediated syncope in children and adolescents (revised 2024). World J Pediatr. 2024;20(10):983–1002. Disponible en:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12519-024-00819-w. Available

from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S2950347724000574?via%3Dihub

39. Winder M, Marietta J, Kerr L, Puchalski M, Zhang C, Ware

A, Collin G. Reducing unnecessary diagnostic testing in pediatric syncope: A quality improvement initiative. Pediatr Cardiol.2021;42(4):942–50. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00246-021-02567-4. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00246-021-02567-4

40. Ortigado Matamala, A. Síncopes. Pediatría Integral, XXV (8),

399–405. Disponible en: https://www.pediatriaintegral.es/publicacion-2021-12/sincopes-2021/

41. Wang S, Peng Y, Zou R, Wang Y, Cai H, Li F, Luo X, Zhang

J, He Z, Wang C. The relationship between demographic factors

and syncopal symptom in pediatric vasovagal syncope. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):22724. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49722-w. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49722-w

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2025 Medical-Scientific Journal CAMbios HECAM