Key result
Electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with undiagnosed Brugada syndrome resulted in prolonged asystole (> 5 s), highlighting it as a potential severe cardiac risk factor.
Case Report (n=1)
Brugada syndrome should be considered a potential cardiac risk factor for severe complications like asystole during electroconvulsive therapy.
May warrant pre-ECT screening for Brugada pattern; leaves open whether screening improves safety in prospective studies.
A case of asystole (> 5 s) during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is reported in a patient who was subsequently diagnosed to have Brugada syndrome (BS). This hereditary sodium-channelopathy is characterized by typical, though intermittent, ECG abnormalities and carries a high risk of ventricular arrythmia and sudden cardiac death. The general occurence of BS is rare; however, it is more prevalent in men and in southeast Asian populations. As in the reported case, BS carriers may lack a telltale medical history and can present with normal ECG recordings. In these cases, BS can only be unmasked by repeated ECG recordings over time or by specialist cardiological examinations. To our knowledge, BS, which was first characterized in 1992, has not yet been in the focus of cardiac complications during ECT. However, as the presented case illustrates, this syndrome should be considered as a rare but potentially severe cardiac risk factor in the context of ECT.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Luckhaus et al. (2008) conducted a case report in Brugada syndrome (n=1). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was evaluated on Asystole (> 5 s). Electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with undiagnosed Brugada syndrome resulted in prolonged asystole (> 5 s), highlighting it as a potential severe cardiac risk factor.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: