Key result
In all six cases where cough syncope was cited as the cause of a serious motor vehicle crash, an alternative cause leading to the crash could be identified.
Why the study?
Coughing is a rare cause of syncope that can contribute to motor vehicle crashes, but the precise pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.
Case Report (n=6)
Cough syncope should be a diagnosis of exclusion and used with great caution as a medico-legal defense in motor vehicle crashes.
Cough syncope requires exclusion of alternatives before attribution in crashes; case reports leave open its true causal role.
Coughing is a rare cause of syncope that can contribute to motor vehicle crashes. The precise pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the syncope are unclear. We report six occasions in which motor vehicle drivers have been involved in serious crashes and cough syncope was cited as the cause. In each occasion, an alternative cause leading to the crash could be identified. Cough as a cause of syncope should be a diagnosis of exclusion and used with great caution as a medico-legal defence. A suggested criterion for confirmation of cough syncope is recommended.
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Guo et al. (2022) conducted a case report in Cough syncope cited as cause of motor vehicle crash (n=6). Cough syncope was evaluated on Identification of an alternative cause leading to the crash. In all six cases where cough syncope was cited as the cause of a serious motor vehicle crash, an alternative cause leading to the crash could be identified.
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