Key result
Pacemaker placement resolves bradycardia-induced swallow syncope diagnosed by long-term telemetry.
Why the study?
Swallow syncope is a rare cause of syncope caused by vagus nerve activation leading to transient hypotension and cerebral hypoperfusion, requiring clinical and cardiac evaluation for diagnosis.
Case Report (n=1)
Swallow syncope is a rare reflex syncope that can be diagnosed with long-term telemetry and may require pacemaker placement.
May support pacemaker in telemetry-confirmed swallow syncope; extends sparse case reports but leaves open generalizability.
Syncope is characterized by a transient loss of consciousness. Swallow syncope, a rare cause of syncope, is caused by vagus nerve activation resulting in vasodilation and bradycardia, thus causing transient hypotension and cerebral hypoperfusion. It is diagnosed through clinical history, cardiac, and esophageal evaluation. We present a case of swallow syncope in a patient with significant cardiac history. Initial cardiac and esophageal testing was normal. Long-term telemetry revealed bradycardia with swallowing, and the patient underwent pacemaker placement. Swallow syncope is associated with a variety of esophageal and cardiac conditions. Management involves addressing the underlying cause; pacemaker placement is sometimes necessary.
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Ellington et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Swallow syncope (n=1). Pacemaker placement was evaluated. Long-term telemetry revealed bradycardia with swallowing in a patient with swallow syncope, which was managed with pacemaker placement.
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