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>> HI, I'M DR. JEFF BORIS, I'M ONE OF THE PEDIATRIC
CARDIOLOGISTS AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA.
I'VE BEEN TALKING AT CARDIOLOGY 2012 ABOUT SYNCOPE.
SYNCOPE IS A CONDITION THAT WE SEE A LOT
IN TEENAGERS ESPECIALLY.
AND BASICALLY SYNCOPE IS THE GREEK TERM FOR PASSING OUT.
WE SEE FAINTING AND DIZZINESS OR ALMOST PASSING
OUT IN AS MUCH AS 15% TO 20% OF ALL ADOLESCENTS.
THE USUAL REASON FOR IT IS DUE TO GROWTH AND HORMONAL
CHANGES THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE GOING THROUGH AS THEY
GET INTO ADOLESCENCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO TO TREAT THEM IS MAKE SURE
THAT THEY ARE DRINKING PLENTY OF FLUID AND HAVING
ADEQUATE SALT AS WELL AS NOT SKIPPING MEALS AND MAKING
SURE THAT THEY HAVE NO CAFFEINE INTAKE.
SOMETIMES, THOUGH, SOME OF THE PATIENTS NEED TO BE
GIVEN SOME MEDICATIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING TODAY
IS THE USE OF BOTH OLDER MEDICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
USED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AS WELL AS NEW USES
FOR OLDER MEDICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE.
SOME OF THE MEDICINES THAT WE USE ARE SIMPLE STEROIDS,
BUT ALSO SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO USE THINGS LIKE
SCOPOLAMINE, WHICH IS A MEDICINE THAT'S ALSO BEEN
USED FOR SEA SICKNESS, SOMETIMES WE USE STIMULANTS
LIKE RITALIN OR ADDERALL.
WE ALSO TRY TO USE NON-MEDICATION THERAPY
SUCH AS TRAINING PATIENTS HOW TO PREVENT ONE
OF THESE EPISODES FROM HAPPENING.
OR ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS TRAIN THEM OVER
THE LONG-TERM TO GET USED TO BEING IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE PATIENTS HAVE IMPROVEMENT
OR RESOLUTION OF THEIR SYMPTOMS BY THE TIME
THEY GET TO ADULTHOOD.
BUT A FEW OF THEM STILL DO HAVE TO BE TREATED AS WELL
AS SOMETIMES THEIR CHILDREN IN THE DISTANT FUTURE ALSO
HAVE IT AS IT DOES TEND TO RUN IN FAMILIES.