Key result
Paediatric syncope was associated with significantly lower total health-related quality of life scores compared to healthy historical controls (75.2 vs 83.8, P<0.0001).
Why the study?
Does pediatric syncope reduce health-related quality of life compared to healthy controls and those with chronic illnesses?
Cohort (n=106)
No
Does pediatric syncope reduce health-related quality of life compared to healthy controls and those with chronic illnesses?
Absolute Event Rate: 75.2% vs 83.8%
p-value: p=<0.0001
Children with syncope experience significantly lower health-related quality of life compared to healthy controls, with scores similar to those with chronic illnesses like asthma or structural heart disease.
Supports routine quality-of-life assessment in pediatric syncope; hypothesis-generating for interventions pending prospective trials.
BACKGROUND: Syncope is common in children and adolescents and most commonly represents neurocardiogenic syncope. No information has been reported regarding the effect of syncope on health-related quality of life in children. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients seen in the Heart Institute Syncope Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center between July, 2009 and June, 2010. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL™ tool. PedsQL™ scores were compared with both healthy historical controls and historical controls with chronic illnesses. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients were included for analysis. In all, 90% were Caucasian and 63% were girls. The median age was 15.1 years (8.2-21.6). Compared with healthy controls, patients had lower PedsQL™ scores: Total score (75.2 versus 83.8, p < 0.0001); Physical Health Summary (78.8 versus 87.5, p < 0.0001); Psychosocial Health Summary (73.9 versus 81.9, p < 0.001), Emotional Functioning (68.9 versus 79.3, p < 0.001); and School Functioning (66.4 versus 81.1, p < 0.001). No difference was seen in Social Functioning (86.2 versus 85.2, p = 0.81). Patients also had lower PedsQL™ Total scores than patients with diabetes mellitus (p < 0.0001) and similar scores to patients with asthma, end-stage renal disease, obesity, and structural heart disease. CONCLUSION: Children with syncope, although typically benign in aetiology, can have low health-related quality of life.
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Anderson et al. (2012) conducted a cohort in Syncope (n=106). Syncope vs. Healthy historical controls was evaluated on PedsQL Total score (p=<0.0001). Paediatric syncope was associated with significantly lower total health-related quality of life scores compared to healthy historical controls (75.2 vs 83.8, P<0.0001).
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