Clinical practice of the insertable cardiac monitor for unexplained syncope

Objective Due to their sporadic and infrequent occurrences, the diagnosis of the unexplained syncope is hampered by conventional monitoring methods. This study is designed to investigate the application of the insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) for the diagnosis of the unexplained syncope. Methods From August 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016, 33 patients with unexplained syncope in The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University were enrolled. The event of the arrhythmia during the syncope occurrences were monitored by ICM. Results During the follow-up of (705.0± 389.4) d, 2 patients died and 7 patients attacked syncope. Seven arrhythmia events were detected by ICM, including 1 case of ventricular fibrillation, 1 case of ventricular tachycardia and 5 cases of ventricular arrest. The patients who received the optimization of antiarrhythmic therapy had been free from syncope. Conclusion Unexplained syncope is a common condition with a significant impact both on the patient and healthcare expenditure. The diagnostic rates of unexplained syncope can be significantly improved by the ICM. Thus, ICM is recommended for the early diagnosis of unexplained syncope. Key words: Insertable cardiac monitor; Syncope; Arrhythmia