title: Brugada-type electrocardiogram in the Taiwanese population--is it a risk factor for sudden death?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People receive electrocardiogram (ECG) examination for various reasons in a hospital setting. An important clinical practice issue may be that cardiologists need to be consulted for Brugada-type ECGs identified through routine screening. We investigated the prevalence and prognosis of patients with Brugada-type ECG in a hospital-based population in an attempt to improve the management of these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 20,562 patients seeking medical care for non-cardiovascular reasons, 74,955 ECGs were performed from December 1999 to February 2001. The diagnostic criteria for Brugada-like ECG from the European Society of Cardiology were used. International Statistical Classification of Diseases codes and city residents' records were documented to indicate the reasons for visiting clinics or hospitalization and mortality outcome. Medical records were reviewed and telephone interviews were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six (0.13%) of the 20,562 patients were confirmed to have Brugada-type ECGs. None of these patients had ever experienced syncope, near syncope or sudden cardiac death. After 57.1 ± 15.8 months of follow-up, there were four deaths out of the 26 patients with Brugada-type ECG (15.4%, 95% CI: 1.53-2.9%) compared with 2899 of those without (14.1%, 95% CI: 13.6-14.5%; p=0.89, log-rank test). Neither sudden cardiac death (p=0.61) nor hospitalized death (p=0.55) was different between patients with and without Brugada-type ECG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with Brugada-type ECGs are not rare in a hospital-based population. The presence of Brugada-type ECGs in patients without syncope or sudden cardiac death was not associated with hospitalized mortality.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jyh-Ming Jimmy
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Juang
authors.forename: Wei-Lian
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Pau-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ling-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Min-Hsi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jou-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pi-Hsun
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wei-Yih
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Bor-Wen
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Juey-Jen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chuen-Den
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Kwan-Lih
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yung-Zu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Jiunn-Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Fu-Tien
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology