When is fainting serious? Hospitals try to crack the riddle

Fainting can be a frightening and dangerous experience, sending as many as four million people to the emergency room each year. Now, with an aging population that is more vulnerable to such episodes, often on a recurrent basis, hospitals are trying to do a better job of identifying the causes of fainting, known in medical terms as syncope, and determining which cases are serious enough to warrant follow-up and hospitalization. Syncope (pronounced sin-kuh-pee) generally involves a short, temporary loss of consciousness followed by a spontaneous recovery. While it can be a harmless response to stress or emotional upset, or caused by interactions among medications, it can also be a sign of serious and even life-threatening health issues.