Blacking out behind the wheel

Fainting spells are behind an increasing number of automobile collisions, particularly among the elderly. A cardiac cause of that fainting can often go undetected and should be considered by physicians, according to Mark H. Schoenfeld, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine. He and his colleagues studied 54 patients who had lost consciousness for unknown reasons while driving and then been referred to the Yale cardiac electrophysiology service over a 14-year period. They discovered that 78 percent were found to have cardiac irregularities. None of those who received treatment experienced another fainting spell while driving. Schoenfeld presented his findings in May at the meeting of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. He advised colleagues to look at possible cardiac disorders when unexplained fainting spells occur.