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Medical Student
University of Illinois School of Medicine
A 41-year-old otherwise healthy male presents to the emergency department after a syncopal episode while standing and waiting for the bus. He states he has been experiencing intermittent episodes of lightheadedness while at rest over the past several weeks. The patient has no other associated symptoms and no significant family history. He has no other complaints and a normal physical exam. His EKG is shown below.
EKG:
Brugada syndrome is a critical diagnosis for an emergency physician because left undiagnosed it may lead to cardiac arrest and death. Brugada syndrome is a disorder related to sodium channel dysfunction in the myocardium. It may be hereditary or due to a spontaneous mutation and occurs in otherwise structurally normal hearts. It most commonly occurs in males, especially those of Asian descent, and tends to present around 40 years of age. Estimated incidence is 0.05–0.60% in adults. Brugada is very rarely diagnosed in children.
