title: Drug-induced Brugada syndrome by noncardiac agents.
abstract: Drug-induced Brugada syndrome (BrS) represents a great challenge for the prescribing clinicians as well as for those involved in the development of novel pharmaceuticals and in the regulatory bodies responsible with monitoring drug safety. Apart from well-known cardiac agents (mainly Class I antiarrhythmics), an increasing number of noncardiac agents, including psychotropic and anesthetic drugs, have been shown to induce the characteristic Brugada electrocardiogram pattern predisposing to fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Up to now, both repolarization and depolarization abnormalities are thought to be related to the development of ventricular fibrillation in BrS patients. This review highlights the mechanisms and the noncardiac medical agents that unmask a genetic predisposition to BrS.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Cardiology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Letsas
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kavvouras
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kollias
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsikrikas
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korantzopoulos
authors.forename: Michalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Efremidis
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sideris
mesh_terms: D000777:Anesthetics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053840:Brugada Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Brugada syndrome; drugs; sudden cardiac death