Table 3.
Clinical variables and comparison between diagnostic and non-diagnostic Holter.
| Study Cohort n = 478 (%) |
Diagnostic Holter n = 25 (%) |
Non-Diagnostic n = 453 (%) |
p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time from event to Holter, mean ± SD, d | 3.22 ± 3.23 | 2.04 ± 2.05 | 3.28 ± 3.35 | <0.001 |
| Time from admission to Holter, mean ± SD, d | 2.63 ± 2.63 | 1.24 ± 0.92 | 2.71 ± 2.67 | <0.001 |
| Recurrent syncope * | 82 (17) | 6 (24) | 76 (17) | 0.351 |
| Prior syncope admission | 72 (15) | 2 (8) | 70 (15.5) | 0.309 |
| Pre-syncopal symptoms † | 226 (47) | 9 (36) | 217 (48) | 0.242 |
| Chest pain | 22 (4.6) | 0 | 22 (5) | 0.259 |
| Palpitations | 26 (5.4) | 0 | 26 (6) | 0.218 |
| Event during effort | 23 (4.8) | 1 (4) | 22 (5) | 0.846 |
| Event at rest | 150 (31) | 10 (40) | 140 (40) | 0.340 |
| Oxygen saturation ≤ 93% § | 39 (8.1) | 1 | 38 (8) | 0.435 |
| Fever > 38 °C | 13 (3.0) | 0 | 13 (3) | 0.390 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) ¶ | 13.0 ± 1.8 | 12.8 ± 1.5 | 13.0 ± 1.8 | 0.584 |
| Cardiac exam findings # | 114 (24) | 9 (36) | 105 (23) | 0.143 |
| Abnormal ECG | 245 (51) | 18 (72) | 227 (50) | 0.033 |
| Traumatic syncope | 46 (9.6) | 4 (16) | 42 (9) | 0.267 |
| Hospital stay duration, mean ± SD, d | 7.4 ± 6.4 | 9.6 ± 9.9 | 7.3 ± 6.1 | 0.260 |
| In hospital death | 2 (0.4) | 0 | 2 (0.4) | 0.739 |
* More than one syncopal event during the seven days before admission. †: Symptoms before syncopal event including dizziness, headache, nausea, and blurred vision. §: Oxygen saturation was measured at rest in ambient air. ¶: First result upon admission, presented as mean and standard deviation. #: Description of a murmur or an irregular rhythm.