Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants at the time of their first ED visit during the study period.
| Characteristic | Study Cohort (N = 22,189) |
Survived past 30 days (n = 21,908) |
Died by 30 days (n = 281) |
P-value * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)† mean (±SD) | 58.8 (±21.0) | 58.5 (±21.0) | 76.9 (±12.2) | <0.001 |
| Age (years)† n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| 18-39 | 5,008 (22.57) | 5,005 (22.85) | 3 (1.07) | |
| 40-59 | 5,599 (25.23) | 5,574 (25.44) | 25 (8.90) | |
| 60-79 | 7,464 (33.64) | 7,339 (33.50) | 125 (44.48) | |
| 80 plus | 4,118 (18.56) | 3,990 (18.21) | 128 (45.55) | |
| Female n (%) | 12,727 (57.36) | 12,602 (57.52) | 125 (44.48) | <0.001 |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| White | 10,186 (45.91) | 10,013 (45.7) | 173 (61.57) | |
| Hispanic | 3,907 (17.61) | 3,875 (17.69) | 32 (11.39) | |
| Black or African American | 2,874 (12.95) | 2,837 (12.95) | 37 (13.17) | |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 1,106 (4.98) | 1,090 (4.98) | 16 (6.1) | |
| Other, multiple, unknown | 4,116 (18.55) | 4,093 (18.68) | 23 (8.19) | |
| Admitted to hospital†‡ n (%) | 7,571 (34.12) | 7,356 (33.58) | 215 (76.51) | <0.001 |
| Syncope visits per subject mean (±SD) | 1.08 (±0.34) | 1.08 (±0.34) | 1.03 (±0.17) | 0.011 |
| Pre-existing comorbidity†,§ n (% of cohort) | ||||
| Diabetes | 4,195 (18.91) | 4,083 (18.64) | 112 (39.86) | <0.001 |
| Heart failure | 2,436 (10.98) | 2,316 (10.57) | 120 (42.70) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 11,387 (51.32) | 11,169 (50.98) | 218 (77.58) | <0.001 |
| Dysrhythmia§ | 2,729 (12.30) | 2,638 (12.04) | 91 (32.38) | <0.001 |
| Valvular heart disease | 1,575 (7.10) | 1,516 (6.92) | 59 (21.00) | <0.001 |
| Myocardial infarction | 1,165 (5.25) | 1,122 (5.12) | 43 (15.30) | <0.001 |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 1,413 (6.37) | 1,378 (6.29) | 35 (12.46) | <0.001 |
| Seizure | 809 (3.65) | 787 (3.59) | 22 (7.83) | <0.001 |
| Dementia | 1,281 (5.77) | 1,236 (5.64) | 45 (16.01) | <0.001 |
| Gastrointestinal hemorrhage | 591 (2.66) | 578 (2.64) | 13 (4.63) | 0.058 |
P-value for comparison of a characteristic between the group who died and the group who survived at 30 days based on a two-sided hypothesis: Fischer's Exact test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test.
Based on first ED visit for syncope during the study period in subjects with multiple visits.
Admission the same day or the day after the ED visit.
Comorbidity definitions are provided in the Data Supplement. Dysrhythmia included a past history of 3rd degree heart block, Mobitz II heart block, other heart block, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation or flutter, atrial fibrillation or flutter, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, SA node dysfunction, anomalous AV excitation (pre-excitation), other conduction disorders, and cardiac arrest.