How is Brugada syndrome diagnosed?

How is Brugada syndrome diagnosed?

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, listen to your heart and order tests. Tests used to diagnose Brugada syndrome include:

• 12 Lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) – This test records the electrical activity that makes the heart beat. The doctor can check for a Brugada pattern.
• ECG with medication – Brugada syndrome is caused by changes in the heart’s ion channels, so before doing an ECG, your doctor may give you medication that helps the Brugada pattern "show up" on the ECG print-out.

Based on your ECG results, you may also have:

• Electrophysiology (EP) testing – Catheters are placed inside the heart through a patient’s femoral (leg) veins. These catheters are able to measure electrical activity from inside the heart. The test is used very selectively and only in patients whose diagnosis is unclear after earlier tests.
• Lab tests – Used to check for a normal potassium-calcium balance and to rule out other causes of an abnormal heart rhythm.
• Genetic testing – To confirm a specific gene mutation that indicates Brugada syndrome. Other family members may want to be tested for this mutation.