Drop attack: Difference between revisions

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*[[Bradycardia]]
*[[Bradycardia]]
*[[Brain stem]] [[mass]]
*[[Brain stem]] [[mass]]
*[[Breath holding spells]]
*[[Breath-holding spells]]
*[[Cardiac arrest]]
*[[Cardiac arrest]]
*[[Cardiac syncope]]
*[[Cardiac]] [[syncope]]
*[[Cardiac tamponade]]
*[[Cardiac tamponade]]
*[[Cocaine]]
*[[Cocaine]]
*[[Conversion disorders]]
*[[Conversion disorder]]
*[[Episodic ataxia]]
*[[Episodic ataxia]]
*[[Gout]]
*[[Gout]]

Revision as of 02:20, 9 April 2014

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farman Khan, MD, MRCP [2]

Overview

Drop attacks are sudden spontaneous falls while standing or walking, followed by a very swift recovery, within seconds or minutes. Drop attacks are typically seen in elderly patients, and the most common cause is carotid sinus hypersensitivity, resulting in either short periods of reversible asystole, or in marked drop in blood pressure in response to carotid sinus stimulation.

Causes

Causes of drop attacks include:

  1. Vascular - transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, dissection, occlusion and hemorrhage
  2. Epilepsy/paroxysmal:
  3. Degenerative disease:
  4. Structural:
  5. Metabolic:
  6. Cardiac:
  7. Psychologic:

Common Causes

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular

Cardiac arrest, bradycardia, prolonged QT, sick sinus syndrome, Stokes-Adams attacks, tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, aortic stenosis

Chemical / poisoning No underlying causes
Dermatologic No underlying causes
Drug Side Effect

Sedatives, antihistamine, tricyclic antidepressants

Ear Nose Throat No underlying causes
Endocrine

Hypoglycemia

Environmental No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic No underlying causes
Genetic No underlying causes
Hematologic No underlying causes
Iatrogenic No underlying causes
Infectious Disease No underlying causes
Musculoskeletal / Ortho No underlying causes
Neurologic Astatic seizure , Episodic ataxia , Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy , Migraine , Myoclonic seizure , Panayiotopoulos syndrome

Parkinsons , Pure autonomic failure , Seizure , Verterbrobasilar artery insufficiency , Paraplegia, Brain stem mass

Nutritional / Metabolic

Hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia

Obstetric/Gynecologic No underlying causes
Oncologic No underlying causes
Opthalmologic No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity Cocaine
Psychiatric

Malingering, conversion, panic attack, anxiety

Pulmonary Sleep apnea
Renal / Electrolyte No underlying causes
Rheum / Immune / Allergy No underlying causes
Sexual No underlying causes
Trauma No underlying causes
Urologic No underlying causes
Dental No underlying causes
Miscellaneous No underlying causes

Causes in alphabetical order

Diagnosis

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