Syncope and blackouts
Use the event history and ECG to distinguish a likely faint from a more concerning collapse.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Describe the event using the patient’s and witness’s accounts.
- Identify features needing urgent cardiovascular or other assessment.
Recognise and explain
- Recovery, exertion, associated symptoms and family history help direct the differential.
On your placement
Agree the activity and supervision with the clinical team. For patient-facing learning, seek permission and respect the patient’s comfort and care needs.
- Take a before-during-after history and seek a witness account.
- Review an ECG and relevant observations with a clinician.
- With the responsible clinician, discuss referral, recurrence advice and any driving or workplace restrictions that apply to this person.
Start here
MLA: cardiovascular history
Build the history of the event, associated symptoms and risk.
Current guidance
NICE CG109: transient loss of consciousness
Use the initial assessment and warning-feature sections for people over 16; compare the event history with the ECG.
Discuss
Assessing a blackout or unexplained fall
Build a witness-based blackout history, recognise cardiovascular red flags and avoid reassuring labels that hide risk.
Practise
One learner performs. One checks the important steps and gives feedback. Then swap. These are St Emlyn’s practice tools, not official MLA scoring systems.
Cardiovascular examination paired practice
Practise cardiovascular examination, then explain what the findings add to the blackout assessment.
On your next shift
Explain the strongest reason for reassurance or further assessment in one case.
Go deeper
Optional material. Advanced resources extend discussion; they do not define independent student practice. Check the publication date and compare clinical advice with current guidance.
Geeky Medics: a blackout history
Use the before, during and after questions to practise taking a witness account. Apply the current pathway and red flags in the student lesson.
How this relates to GMC graduate outcomes and the MLA
These are St Emlyn’s learning connections, not a claim that this page covers every national requirement.
Presentations and conditions: Blackouts and faints.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
Practical skills: Cardiovascular examination; ECG recording.
St Emlyn’s interpretation of relevant GMC graduate outcomes and MLA themes; these are summary labels, not official topic codes or a complete curriculum.
Explore the student placement programme
Student practice and graduate expectations
About this resource and its review
A St Emlyn’s guide to learning Emergency Medicine during undergraduate placements. It is not an official medical-school or GMC curriculum. Your medical school’s curriculum and assessment requirements take precedence.
National foundations: GMC Outcomes for Graduates, the practical-skills supplement and the MLA content map applying from September 2026.
Framework checked: 8 October 2026. This is a source check, not clinical sign-off.
Clinical learning outcomes: awaiting named clinical review.
The four learning routes are St Emlyn’s groupings. The six interconnected MLA domains remain part of the official content map.