Clinical Research Predictors of Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Death in a Quebec Cohort With Brugada Syndrome

Background: Patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) are at risk for ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and sudden death. Identification of high-risk individuals beyond those with syncope or resuscitated sudden death remains a major challenge. Methods: We assessed the value of clinical, electrophysiological, and electrocardiographic (ECG) features, including depolarization and repolarization metrics, in predicting arrhythmic events and sudden death in consecutive patients with BrS diagnosed between 2002 and 2013 in Quebec, Canada. Qualifying electrocardiograms with the highest type 1 ST-segment elevations were reviewed and analyzed by 2 electrophysiologists who were blinded to clinical history. Survival analyses were adjusted for Firth bias correction and left truncation. Results: A total of 105 patients, 79.8% of whom were men, were diagnosed with BrS at a mean age of 46.2 � 13.3 years and were followed for 59.6 � 16.4 months. Ten (9.5%) had a history of cardiac arrest, 37 (35.2%) had syncope, and 7 (6.7%) experienced 20 arrhythmic events during follow-up, all consisting of appropriate ICD