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Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2019Only humans faint, and not all do so. Syncope tends to recur, and the predisposition to syncope can persist over many decades. Observations such as these have suggested... (Review)
Review
Only humans faint, and not all do so. Syncope tends to recur, and the predisposition to syncope can persist over many decades. Observations such as these have suggested that there may be a genetic predisposition to vasovagal syncope. It seems to have a high prevalence in some families; having a parent who faints increases the likelihood of an offspring fainting, and this is increased even further if both biological parents faint. Numerous studies have correlated a number of genotypes with positive tilt tests. However, the control subjects are usually those who faint, but have negative tilt tests, making the conclusions about association with the clinical phenotype less certain. Twin studies, highly focused genome-wide association studies, and gene duplicate studies all suggest there are sites in the genome that associate with vasovagal syncope, although the specific genes, pathways, and proteins are unknown. A recent large, candidate gene study of kindreds with high, multigenerational prevalence of the vasovagal syncope identified 3 genes that associate with vasovagal syncope. Our understanding of the genetic correlates of vasovagal syncope is in its infancy, with much to be understood.
PubMed: 31850372
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2019.00175 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2019This clinical case report presents synchronous physiological data from an individual in whom a spontaneous vasovagal reaction occurred without syncope. The physiological...
This clinical case report presents synchronous physiological data from an individual in whom a spontaneous vasovagal reaction occurred without syncope. The physiological data are presented for three main phases: Baseline (0-200 s), vasovagal reaction (200-600 s), and recovery period (600-1200 s). The first physiological changes occurred at around 200 s, with a decrease in blood pressure, peak in heart rate and vastus lateralis tissue oxygenation, and a drop in alpha power. The vasovagal reaction was associated with a progressive decrease in blood pressure, heart rate and cerebral oxygenation, whilst the mean middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity and blood oxygen saturation remained unchanged. Heart rate variability parameters indicated significant parasympathetic activation with a decrease in sympathetic tone and increased baroreflex sensitivity. The total blood volume and tissue oxygenation index (TOI) dropped in the brain but slightly increased in the vastus lateralis, suggesting cerebral hypoperfusion with blood volume pooling in the lower body part. Cerebral hypoperfusion during the vasovagal reaction was associated with electroencephalography (EEG) flattening (i.e., decreased power in beta and theta activity) followed by an EEG high-amplitude "slow" phase (i.e., increased power in theta activity). The subject developed signs and symptoms of pre-syncope with EEG flattening and slowing during prolonged periods of symptomatic hypotension, but did not lose consciousness.
PubMed: 31920485
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01315 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Nov 2021Hysteroscopy done in an outpatient setting is the 'gold standard' method for evaluating the uterine cavity. Media used to distend the uterine cavity include gas as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Hysteroscopy done in an outpatient setting is the 'gold standard' method for evaluating the uterine cavity. Media used to distend the uterine cavity include gas as carbon dioxide and liquid as saline that can be used at room temperature or warmed to body temperature. Both media offer advantages as well as disadvantages.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this review is to compare the effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of gas (carbon dioxide) and liquid (normal saline) used for uterine distension during outpatient hysteroscopy.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility (CGF) Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO on 28 April 2021. We checked references of relevant trials and contacted study authors and experts in the field to identify additional studies. CINAHL records and ongoing trials from the trial registries were included in the CENTRAL search.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing saline with carbon dioxide, as well as RCTs comparing saline at different temperatures, for uterine distension in outpatient hysteroscopy done for any indication.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures recommended by Cochrane. Primary review outcomes were patient tolerability and adverse events or complications related to the distending medium. Secondary outcomes were quality of the hysteroscopic view and duration of the procedure.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 12 RCTs (1946 women). The quality of evidence ranged from very low to high: the main limitations were risk of bias due to absence of blinding due to the nature of the procedure, imprecision, and inconsistency. Saline versus carbon dioxide Analysis ruled out a clinically relevant difference in pain scores during the procedure between saline and carbon dioxide, but the quality of evidence was low (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.17 to 0.02; 9 RCTs, N = 1705; I² = 86%). This translates to differences of 0.39 cm (lower) and 0.05 cm (higher) on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Evidence was insufficient to show differences between groups in the proportion of procedures abandoned due to intense pain (Peto odds ratio (OR) 0.48, 95% CI 0.09 to 2.42; 1 RCT, N = 189; very low-quality evidence). We are uncertain whether saline decreases the need for analgesia compared to carbon dioxide (Peto OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.99; 1 RCT, N = 189; very low-quality evidence). Saline compared to carbon dioxide is probably associated with fewer vasovagal reaction events (Peto OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.86; 6 RCTs, N = 1076; I² = 0%; moderate-quality evidence) and fewer shoulder-tip pain events (Peto OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.54; 4 RCTs, N = 623; I² = 0%, moderate-quality evidence). Evidence suggests that if 10% of women undergoing outpatient hysteroscopy experience a vasovagal reaction event with the use of carbon dioxide, this rate would be between 3% and 9% with the use of saline. Similarly, if the rate of shoulder-tip pain with carbon dioxide is 9%, it would be between 1% and 5% with saline. We are uncertain whether saline is similar to carbon dioxide in terms of endometrial bleeding (Peto OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.25 to 2.75; 2 RCTs, N = 349; I² = 0%; very low-quality evidence). Infection was not reported by any study in this comparison. Saline may result in fewer procedures with an unsatisfactory hysteroscopic view than carbon dioxide (Peto OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.82; 5 RCTs, N = 1082; I² = 67%; low-quality evidence). The duration of the procedure was shorter with saline in three of the four studies that reported this outcome, and duration was similar in both arms in the fourth study. Warm saline versus room temperature saline Use of warm saline for uterine distension during office hysteroscopy may reduce pain scores when compared with room temperature saline (mean difference (MD) -1.14, 95% CI -1.55 to -0.73; 3 RCTs, N = 241; I² = 77%; low-quality evidence). Evidence is insufficient to show differences between groups in either the proportion of procedures abandoned due to intense pain (Peto OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.06 to 15.87; 1 RCT, N = 77; very low-quality evidence) or the need for analgesia (Peto OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.14 to 7.32; 1 RCT, N = 100; very low-quality evidence). Analysis ruled out a clinically relevant difference in duration of the procedure between warm and room temperature saline, but the quality of evidence is low (MD 13.17 seconds, 95% CI -12.96 to 39.29; 2 RCTs, N = 141; I² = 21%). No cases of infection were reported in either group (1 RCT, N = 100). No other adverse events and no information on quality of the hysteroscopic view were reported by any study in this comparison.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Evidence was insufficient to show differences between different distension media used for uterine distension in outpatient hysteroscopy in terms of patient tolerability, operator satisfaction, or duration of the procedure. However, saline was superior to carbon dioxide in producing fewer adverse events (shoulder-tip pain and vasovagal reaction).
Topics: Endometrium; Female; Humans; Hysteroscopy; Outpatients; Pain; Pregnancy; Uterus
PubMed: 34826139
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006604.pub2 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Sleep syncope is a subtype of vasovagal syncope in which patients experience syncope after awakening from their sleep. The aim was to investigate the association of...
BACKGROUND
Sleep syncope is a subtype of vasovagal syncope in which patients experience syncope after awakening from their sleep. The aim was to investigate the association of clinical characteristics and gastrointestinal symptoms with syncope, as well as the body position in which symptoms began.
METHODS
A systematic search of studies was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE without language restrictions, from inception to 9 January 2022. Studies were included if they reported data on the proportion of patients who experienced symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea) associated with syncope.
RESULTS
Data were included for 116 patients in 13 studies. Patients were 46.9 ± 4.3 years and 61.4% were female. In 52.5% of patients, a supine body position at the time of syncope was reported. A history of phobias was reported by 67.6% of patients, and 96.5% of patients also had typical daytime vasovagal syncope. In the 5 studies reporting the results of head-up tilt testing ( = 77), 90.9% of patients had positive tests. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in the majority of patients with reported rates of 65.6% for upper gastrointestinal symptoms and 86.0% for lower gastrointestinal symptoms.
CONCLUSION
Patients with sleep syncope patients are predominantly female with a history of daytime vasovagal syncope. Gastrointestinal symptoms are present in the majority of patients and is therefore an important feature of sleep syncope.
PubMed: 36277790
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.973368 -
Cureus Dec 2022Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a transient, sudden loss of consciousness followed by complete resolution, usually due to a paradoxical autonomic reaction that results in... (Review)
Review
Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a transient, sudden loss of consciousness followed by complete resolution, usually due to a paradoxical autonomic reaction that results in hypotension and/or bradycardia. In this study, we assessed the correlation between VVS and a patient's psychiatric status, as well as if this association could be a target in the treatment of those patients. We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched the available literature using the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, with last access on July 21, 2022. The search resulted in 1691 articles, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to nine remaining articles, all of which were accepted after using the quality assessment tools, four observational and four randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Four of the included studies assessed the correlation among vasovagal syncope, psychosocial impairment, and quality of life. We found a consistent correlation among VVS, psychosocial impairment, and quality of life (QoL), meaning that VVS patients usually have some degree of psychosocial impairment, especially in the form of anxiety and depression, and a poorer QoL in comparison to their healthy counterparts. The use of psychotherapy and antidepressants was proven to be effective in VVS in RCTs, but further evidence is needed.
PubMed: 36694488
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.32793 -
Vaccine Sep 2022Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine administration started in February 2021 in Japan. As of December 2021, approximately 75% of the population aged ≥12 years...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine administration started in February 2021 in Japan. As of December 2021, approximately 75% of the population aged ≥12 years had received two doses of vaccine. We conducted a study to investigate vasovagal reactions (VVR) after COVID-19 vaccination using data on adverse events following immunization. The crude reporting rate of VVR (cases/1,000,000 doses) after vaccination was 9.6 in all age groups combined, and was more frequent in the younger age groups: 28.6 and 37.2 in individuals aged 10-19 years and 20-29 years, respectively. In individuals aged 10-29 years, the rate was similar in males and females (33.0 and 34.2, respectively, p = 0.53); but was higher after dose 1 than after dose 2 (57.4 and 8.8, respectively, p < 0.001). Based on these results, caution needs to be exercised when vaccinating adolescents and young adults, especially with dose 1 of COVID-19 vaccines.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Child; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Syncope, Vasovagal; Vaccination; Young Adult
PubMed: 36068111
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.08.056 -
European Heart Journal Jul 2023
Topics: Humans; Syncope, Vasovagal; Nitroglycerin; Isoproterenol; Tilt-Table Test
PubMed: 37317895
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad359 -
American Journal of Blood Research 2020There are a lot of reports related to adverse reactions post blood donation. The present study is designed to investigate the incidence of adverse reactions in blood... (Review)
Review
There are a lot of reports related to adverse reactions post blood donation. The present study is designed to investigate the incidence of adverse reactions in blood donation around the world. This research was conducted through searching databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EmBase, Ovid, as well as the specialized journal of TRANSFUSION without any time limit by using the keywords including "Adverse Event", "Adverse Effect", "Adverse Reaction", "Complication", "Side Effect", "Vasovagal Reaction", "Local Reaction", "General Reaction", "Allergic Reaction", "Blood Donor", and "Blood Donation". In the initial search, 7054 documents were found, of which 2517 duplicates were excluded. After screening the remaining 4,537 documents, 97 one were reviewed for quality assessment, of which 30 with the appropriate quality were selected for the review process. The results of the study showed that the reactions caused by blood donation are very different. Most reactions were systemic, and ranged from 0.08 to 13 percent in different countries. The incidence of adverse reactions in blood donation differ across the countries which might be related to the donors' characteristics. The difference did even existed in studies conducted in the same country and the same year. This suggests that many factors can cause adverse reactions in blood donation, and that a wide range of them investigated in one study, most of which were systemic.
PubMed: 33224558
DOI: No ID Found -
Clinical Cardiology Jul 2023Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most prevalent type of syncope and its management includes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Recently, studies have... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is the most prevalent type of syncope and its management includes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Recently, studies have investigated vitamin D levels in VVS patients. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to review these studies to find possible associations between vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D levels with VVS. International databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase were searched with keywords related to "vasovagal syncope" and "vitamin D." Studies were screened and the data were extracted from them. Random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for vitamin D levels in comparison to VVS patients and controls. Also, VVS occurrence was measured and the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were calculated for comparison of vitamin D deficient cases and nondeficient individuals. Six studies were included with 954 cases investigated. Meta-analysis showed that patients with VVS had significantly lower vitamin D serum levels in comparison to non-VVS cases (SMD -1.05, 95% CI -1.54 to -0.57, p-value < .01). Moreover, VVS occurrence was higher in vitamin D-deficient individuals (OR 5.43, 95% CI 2.40 to 12.27, p-value < .01). Our findings which show lower vitamin D levels in VVS patients can have clinical implications in order for clinicians to pay attention to this when approaching VVS. Further randomized controlled trials are certainly warranted to assess the role of vitamin D supplementation in individuals with VVS.
Topics: Humans; Tilt-Table Test; Syncope, Vasovagal; Syncope; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin D
PubMed: 37226313
DOI: 10.1002/clc.24035 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2023Vasovagal reactions are common amongst patients with a fear of needles receiving injections or during venipuncture, but they are rarely studied in healthy people...
BACKGROUND
Vasovagal reactions are common amongst patients with a fear of needles receiving injections or during venipuncture, but they are rarely studied in healthy people undergoing earlobe piercing. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the incidence and the features of vasovagal reactions observed during earlobe piercing.
METHODS
Thousand eight hundred and sixty six participants aged older than 13 years had their earlobes pierced in our department from January 2020 to January 2022. When vasovagal reactions occurred during the procedure (e.g., dizziness, pallor, diaphoresis, and faintness, etc.), they were recorded and more detailed demographic information was collected.
RESULTS
A total of 196 cases of vasovagal reactions were reported in females amongst 1,866 participants, including 58 who actually lost consciousness during earlobe piercing. The incidence of vasovagal reactions and vasovagal syncope was 10.5 and 3.11% respectively. All syncopal reactions occurred in persons younger than 30 years.
CONCLUSION
Vasovagal syncope is often very sudden and occurs without warning. Practitioners need to be familiar with these reactions, and prevent people from an unpredictable fall and subsequent injury during ear piercing.
PubMed: 36744138
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1103071