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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment of Brugada syndrome depends on the risk of an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia). Those considered at high risk have:
- A family history of sudden cardiac death
- A personal history of serious heart rhythm problems
- A personal history of severe fainting spells
Because of the nature of the heart rhythm abnormality, medications can't treat Brugada syndrome — only a medical device called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator can. Implanting the device is usually recommended for people at high risk of sudden cardiac death or other complications of Brugada syndrome.
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Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). For high-risk individuals, treatment may include an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This small device continuously monitors your heart rhythm and delivers electrical shocks when needed to control abnormal heartbeats. The procedure to implant an ICD requires hospitalization for a day or two.
There's a risk of complications from having an ICD implanted. People who have an ICD implanted as a treatment for Brugada syndrome have reported receiving shocks from their ICD even when their heartbeat was regular. This may be because many people who receive an ICD as a treatment for Brugada syndrome are young, and may receive shocks when their heart rates increase during normal stresses, such as exercise. Your doctor will program your ICD to reduce this risk. If you have an ICD implanted as part of your Brugada syndrome treatment, talk to your doctor about ways to avoid inappropriate shocks.
- Wylie JV, et al. Brugada syndrome and sudden cardiac arrest. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 24, 2008.
- Benito B, et al. Brugada syndrome. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. 2008;51:1.
- Benito B, et al. Gender differences in clinical manifestations of Brugada syndrome. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2008;52:1567.
- Antzelevitch C, et al. Brugada syndrome: Recent advances and controversies. Current Cardiology Reports. 2008;10:376.
- The Brugada syndrome. Ramon Brugada Senior Foundation. http://www.brugada.org/about/about.html. Accessed April 14, 2009.
