A new study urges people to take fainting spells, blackouts and near-drowning experiences more seriously. They found out that people who often suffer from these symptoms are at a higher risk for sudden death.
Presenting at the annual congress of the South African Heart Association in Rustenburg, Professor Paul Brink of the University of Stellenbosch in Tygerberg and his co-researchers explained how a rare condition called Long QT syndrome (LQTS) can manifest common fainting spells or blackouts (syncope) which are often ignored because of misdiagnosis.
LQTS is a congenital and genetic heart condition characterized by fast, chaotic and erratic heart beats. Due to abnormal heart rhythms, the person might experience blackouts or even seizures. In some cases, the heart would beat so quickly and erratically, leading to unexpected deaths.
This rare condition occurs in 1 out of 7,000 people in the United States and it attributes to around 3,000 to 4,000 deaths each year. Though this disease is treatable, some patients who are misdiagnosed for panic attacks or epilepsy are given wrong treatment options.
According to Brink, it is a treatable cause of sudden death. However, blackouts, which is commonly considered as not so serious, are often ignored.
In their study, the researchers wanted to know the frequency of misdiagnosis of the illness and the reason why patients never saw a doctor despite the presence of obvious manifestations. They analyzed data from relatives of 26 persons in South Africa who were diagnosed with LQTS.
Among them, 203 people were found to have a KCNQ1 A341V mutation which is commonly found in individuals with a heart disorder or problem. They further discovered that of those who have the genetic mutation, 40 percent of them who experienced blackouts received an incorrect diagnosis.
On the other hand, 34 percent of those received erroneous explanations for the presence of their symptoms. They also emphasized on cases wherein deaths occurred due to lack of proper treatment and diagnosis.
There were 23 individuals who died before they reached 20 years because of improper diagnosis of their heart condition. Half of these people died by drowning even if they knew how to swim, a 13-year-old girl died despite being treated for epilepsy while skating, and a pre-schooler died because he choked on water.
Most deaths occur during a blackout and most patients do not seek medical attention after their first fainting spell or even after succeeding ones. Prof. Brink is urging the public to see a doctor if they experience blackouts.
"It is astonishing how many patients do not take blackouts, especially if infrequent, seriously and to make matters worse, people frequently do not realize that death during a blackout is a harbinger of similar risk to surviving relatives," he said.
He added that sudden deaths can only be prevented if individuals get the proper diagnosis and treatment. Also, if people recognize rare and uncommon fainting events and they know how to take action, they can save many lives.
