Brugada syndrome??

[RaggedyRN]

Hello. My husband's uncle has just received an AICD. His cardiologist told him he has brugada's syndrome and that the men in the family should get a cardiac work up. The family has a horrible cardiac history. The grand father died in his early 60's from a sudden MI. The grandmother died suddenly from a stroke in her early 60's. My father-in-law had a triple bypass with an ASD repair in his early 60's. The other uncle died suddenly from an MI in his early 60's. Now this uncle who is in his early 40's (the late in life baby) has just been diagnosed with brugada's syndrome. My question to the nurses working cardiac are: 1. would you have your 37 year old husband who is asymptomatic see a cardiologist? 2. Is this a well know syndrome and do you see it in your practice?

I am NOT looking for specific medical advice. I have googled Brugada Syndrome and it has only been recognized as a syndrome since 1992 and not a lot of research has been done. I am looking for a little unscientific data from nurses working cardiac. I worked on a cardiac step down unit for a year and now work pediatric ICU. I've never heard of it and neither have my co-workers. Apparently it's genetic and mostly affects males. Any info/opinions greatly appreciated.

THANKS!

[augigi, CNS]

My question to the nurses working cardiac are:

1. would you have your 37 year old husband who is asymptomatic see a cardiologist?

With a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, and a recommendation from his uncle's cardiologist that the men get checked out? Umm... yes, I'd advise he got checked out.

2. Is this a well known syndrome and do you see it in your practice?

Been a CVICU nurse for 8 years and never heard of it.

[augigi, CNS]

PS: When I checked Brugada Syndrome - The Official site of the Ramon Brugada Senior Foundation, it specifically says: "While this is a disease that usually affects people in their 30's, it has actually been described at all ages. So it is important to screen everybody in a family. Not everybody who has the disease will have arrhythmias. However, we can not know yet who will be OK and who will have problems."

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

While we don't give opinions on individual medical situations at Allnurses, I can tell you that a surprising number of healthcare providers have never heard of Brugada syndrome. As far back as seven years ago, a study by Alings and Wilde indicated that Brugada syndrome is likely involved in 40-60% of what we've been calling idiopathic ventricular fibrillilation.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I'm still in nursing school, but I had a pt with this. It was a female in her 30s...and that's about all I remember. She did have an AICD.

[zipporah]

I am thinking that Brugada syndrome indicates a Left anterior desending coronary(LAD) artery lesion implicated in sudden cardiac death, it is indicated on an EKG as ST depression? or elevation? in leads V1 and V2 it seems to me....I have read about it but Dubins book of EKG interpretation discusses it.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I am thinking that Brugada syndrome indicates a Left anterior desending coronary(LAD) artery lesion implicated in sudden cardiac death, it is indicated on an EKG as ST depression? or elevation? in leads V1 and V2 it seems to me....I have read about it but Dubins book of EKG interpretation discusses it.

Usually you see ST elevation in V1 to V3, as well as an RBBB pattern in V1 to V3. The Ramon Brugada, Sr Foundation insists that no structural abnormalities are responsible for Brugada syndrome. The issue is electrical.

Untreated, the electrical disturbances lead to polymorphic VT (TdP), VF, and death.

Brugada.org is a pretty comprehensive source of information.