Virtual Curbside

This month we begin a new series on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), exploring the diagnosis and management of this increasingly recognized condition in pediatric patients. In this episode, host Paul Wirkus, MD, FAAP and guest Kirti Sivakoti, MD, provide an overview of POTS before discussing current approaches to diagnosis and recent updates in the field. We review the diagnostic criteria, including orthostatic symptoms and the degree of functional impairment, and consider how these factors help guide clinical evaluation and management.The conversation also examines the growing understanding of POTS as a spectrum disorder, with many patients experiencing overlapping symptoms and contributing conditions. Finally, we discuss how to distinguish POTS from vasovagal syncope and review current thinking on the underlying causes and pathophysiology of POTS. This episode provides pediatricians with a practical framework for recognizing and evaluating children and adolescents with orthostatic intoleran