To explore whether oral rehydration salts (ORS) is effective in the treatment of children with vasovagal syncope (VVS). One hundred and sixty-six consecutive patients with recurrent syncope and positive head-up tilt testing (HUTT) were recruited, randomly divided to conventional therapy (health education and tilt training) plus ORS (with 500 ml of water) group (Group I, 87 patients) and conventional therapy group (Group II, 79 patients). Therapeutic effect was evaluated by changes of syncopal episode and reperformed HUTT response. At the end of 6-month follow-up, syncopal episode did not reoccur in 49 (56.3 %) patients, decreased in 34 (39.1 %) patients, and had no obvious change or increased in four (4.6 %) patients in Group I, and the results were 31 (39.2 %), 37 (46.8 %), and 11 (14 %) in Group II, respectively. The difference was significant (χ (2) = 7.074, P < 0.05). When HUTT was reperformed, 57 (65.5 %) and 28 (35.4 %) patients had negative response and 30 (34.5 %) and 51 (64.6 %) patients had positive response, respectively, in Group I and Group II. The difference was also significant (χ (2) = 13.808, P < 0.01). In Group I, the two aspects had no difference between vasodepressor type and mixed type; however, syncopal episode had a significant difference between children aged ≤12 and >12 years (χ (2) = 6.371, P < 0.05); there was no difference in reperformed HUTT response. ORS with 500 ml of water is an effective therapy for VVS. It can be recommended as one of non- pharmacological treatment measures in children with VVS.

To evaluate the value of Calgary score and modified Calgary score in differential diagnosis between neurally mediated syncope and epilepsy in children. 201 children experienced one or more episodes of loss of consciousness and diagnosed as neurally mediated syncope or epilepsy were enrolled. Calgary score, modified Calgary score and receiver-operating characteristic curve were used to explore the predictive value in differential diagnosis. There were significant differences in median Calgary score between syncope [-4.00 (-6, 1)] and epilepsy [2 (-3, 5)] (z = -11.63, P < 0.01). When Calgary score ≥1, the sensitivity and specificity of differential diagnosis between syncope and epilepsy were 91.46 and 95.80 %, suggesting a diagnosis of epilepsy. There were significant differences in median modified Calgary score between syncope [-4.00 (-6, 1)] and epilepsy [3 (-3, 6)] (z = -11.71, P < 0.01). When modified Calgary score ≥1, the sensitivity and specificity were 92.68 and 96.64 %, suggesting a diagnosis of epilepsy. The sensitivity and specificity of modified Calgary score and Calgary score did not show significant differences (P > 0.05). Calgary score and modified Calgary score could be used to differential diagnosis between syncope and epilepsy in children.

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