Ottawa researchers have a new screening tool that could help doctors uncover the dangerous and hidden conditions making some people faint.
Fainting is fairly common, but it can sometimes be a symptom of a life-threatening condition.
Researchers came up with a simple nine-question tool to help doctors predict whether a patient's fainting could be a sign of a more serious problem.
The study's senior author hopes it will save lives and resources.
“This tool will help physicians to say ‘OK, these patients are low risk, we can discharge them quickly, or these patients are at a higher risk therefore we must evaluate them quickly and/or admit them to hospital” says Ottawa Hospital Emergency Physician Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy.
The researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa examined more than 4,000 fainting patients in six cities across Canada.
It's the largest study of its kind in the world.
