Syncope: Pacing or Recording in the Later Years — Spritely  

Syncope Clinical Trial

Official title: Syncope: Pacing or Recording in the Later Years (SPRITELY)

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Syncope affects about 50% of Canadians, is the cause of 1 - 2% of all emergency room visits, and probably is responsible for CDN $250 million in health care spending each year. It is associated with decreased quality of life, trauma, loss of employment, and limitations in daily activities. It is a particular problem for older people, partly because of increased frailty, and partly because of a difficult differential diagnosis. One of the causes in older adults is intermittent complete heart block in the setting of bifascicular heart block, but they may also faint due to a variety of tachyarrhythmias, sick sinus syndrome, and several neurally mediated syncopes. Often treatment decisions should be made before the true cause is apparent.

Clinical Trial Description

There are two general approaches to the patient with syncope and bifascicular block, a common substrate for intermittent heart block. The first is to assume that intermittent heart block is the cause, and simply implant a pacemaker. The second is to implant a digital ECG loop recorder with a lifespan of 2 - 3 years, determine the rhythm abnormalities during the next faint, and treat accordingly. Both approaches expose patients to a risk of fainting and its sequelae, and both carry device-related complications.Which approach is superior is unknown. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Conduction Disorder of the Heart
• Heart Block
• Syncope

• NCT number: NCT01423994
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Calgary
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: August 2011
• Completion date: November 1, 2017