Anesthesia in patients with Brugada syndrome: two case reports

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 275
• Main Authors: Hsu, Che-Hao, Lin, Shin-Hong, Chang, Li-Yen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 16.06.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Appendectomy; Asymptomatic; Blood pressure; Brugada syndrome; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac patients; Cardiovascular disease; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case reports; Coronary heart disease; Electrocardiography; Electrolytes; Fainting; Family medical history; Fentanyl; General anesthesia; Heart; Hypercalcemia; Hyperkalemia; Hypothermia; Intensive care; Ischemia; Lifesaving; Mutation; Patients; Sodium; Tachycardia; Ventricular arrhythmia; Vital signs; East Asia; Brugada syndrome; Ventricular arrhythmia
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/s13256-023-03934-w

Brugada syndrome is a rare disease. It causes sudden cardiac arrest, which is a serious life-threatening event. Sudden cardiac death mostly results from coronary artery disease. However, patients with Brugada syndrome show normal cardiac anatomy and no evidence of ischemia or electrolyte imbalance. Anesthesia in patients with Brugada syndrome is challenging due to its unpredictable nature, and is worth our attention. We report two cases of Brugada syndrome during anesthesia. In case one, a 31-year-old Filipino laborer was scheduled for laparoscopic appendectomy. The patient denied any preexisting cardiac disease. The preoperative vital signs were stable, with mild fever of 37.9 °C. The operation was smooth. During the emergence period, the patient suffered from sudden onset of ventricular tachycardia. After resuscitation, the cardiac rhythm returned to normal. Later, he was confirmed to have a genetic trait of Brugada syndrome. In case two, a young Taiwanese patient with pre-diagnosed Brugada syndrome underwent an operation. The perioperative precautions were taken to prevent the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia. The surgery was uneventful. Brugada syndrome, although rare, has the highest incidence in South East Asian healthy young males. It brings attention to possible fatal cardiac arrhythmia in this population. Careful preoperative evaluation and perioperative management can help reduce the harmful outcome of the disease and prevent any untoward events.