Brugada syndrome with aborted sudden cardiac death related to liquorice-induced hypokalemia.
OBJECTIVE
It was the aim of this study to report an aborted cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation and electrocardiographic changes consistent with Brugada syndrome due to liquorice-induced hypokalemia.


METHODS
Ventricular fibrillation was witnessed in a 50-year-old woman who was admitted to our emergency department with a history of liquorice ingestion, a herbal product. After stopping liquorice ingestion, the Brugada-like electrocardiographic pattern changed progressively with potassium replacement. A diagnosis of Brugada syndrome was made after the ajmaline challenge test. The patient was discharged with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and had an uneventful follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
This report illustrates the importance of the investigation for herbal medications in the detailed history of a patient in the cases of electrolyte disturbances and the potential role of hypokalemia in the induction of malignant arrhythmia in Brugada syndrome.
Yorgun
Hikmet
H
Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. yorgunhikmet@yahoo.com
Aksoy
Hakan
H
Sendur
Mehmet Ali
MA
Ateş
Ahmet Hakan
AH
Kaya
Ergün Barış
EB
Aytemir
Kudret
K
Oto
Ali
A
D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced