Approach to the pre-school child with sudden loss of consciousness

Abstract

Abstract There are several causes for sudden loss of consciousness in pre-school children. These include Transient Loss of Consciousness (T-LOC), which encompasses a group of disorders with the following characteristics: abnormal motor control, loss of responsiveness, amnesia for the period of unconsciousness, and a short duration. There are three main categories of T-LOC in pre-school children: syncope, resulting from a sudden and reversible lack of oxygenated blood supplied to the brain, often caused by transient impairment of cardiac output or systemic arterial hypotension. Secondly, epileptic seizures due to excessive and hypersynchronous cortico-neuronal electrical activity in the brain, and thirdly, “unexplained T-LOC,” which includes cases not yet diagnosed fully, and those for which a pathophysiological mechanism has not yet been identified, despite thorough investigations. Reflex Anoxic Seizures (RAS) are important in the differential diagnosis of non-epileptic paroxysmal events in infants and pre-school children. Parents and carers who witness these episodes are understandably anxious, and the mainstay of management is ensuring that the correct diagnosis is made, reassurance is given, and both the patient and parents are educated about the condition. Diagnosis can be made based off a detailed history, including an eyewitness account of the episode, as well as clinical examinations. This review aims to describe an approach to the diagnosis and management of T-LOC in pre-school children.