{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T10:02:12Z","timestamp":1789984932168,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789430400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cardiovasc. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a rare inherited arrhythmia associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Significant variation in the prevalence of BrS across different countries has been well documented. However, no study has examined the prevalence of BrS in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, our aim was to assess the prevalence of BrS in patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients who presented to the ED at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) and underwent an electrocardiogram (ECG). Demographic and clinical variables were collected from the records, and ECGs were examined for the presence of a Brugada pattern (BrP). BrS was diagnosed when a type 1 BrP was observed with no secondary causes, and BrP was diagnosed when a non-type 1 pattern was observed. A prespecified sensitivity analysis was conducted, excluding patients whose presentation was potentially compatible with BrS (syncope, presyncope, cardiac arrest, and palpitations).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We included 1,000 patients. Men constituted 498 patients (49.8%). The majority were Saudi nationals (830, 85.6%) and the overall median age was 46 years (IQR: 30\u201365 years). The majority of the patients were afebrile at presentation (915, 93%) and a small number of patients took Brugada-inducing medications (27, 2.7%). The prevalence of BrS was 2\/1,000 (0.002; 95% CI: 0.0002\u20130.007) and the prevalence of BrP was 26\/1,000 (0.026; 95% CI: 0.0179\u20130.0390). Among the patients with BrP, 11 exhibited a type 2 pattern (42.3%) and 15 exhibited a type 3 pattern (57.7%). The sensitivity analysis revealed a prevalence of BrS of 2\/912 (0.002; 95% CI: 0.0\u20130.0061) and a prevalence of BrP of 26\/912 (0.028; 95% CI: 0.0178\u20130.0402).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This is the first Saudi Arabian study on BrS prevalence, suggesting a high prevalence and a notable proportion of non-type 1 Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcvm.2026.1871087","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T04:27:13Z","timestamp":1789446433000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The prevalence of Brugada syndrome in patients presenting to an emergency room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Mudafr","family":"Alkhedr","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Layan","family":"Alabbas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Prince Sultan Military Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Alfarraj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faisal","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rayan","family":"Jabaan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Prince Sultan Military Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meshal","family":"Alhamed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed","family":"Alfaris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad","family":"Alkhorijah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sulaiman","family":"Alshowihi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Prince Sultan Military Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fahad","family":"Abuguyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department, King Saud University Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wael","family":"Alqarawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Sciences, College of Medicine, King Saud University","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"King Fahad Cardiac Center, King Saud University Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]},{"name":"National Center for Sudden Death, King Saud University Medical City","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","first-page":"437","article-title":"Algunas notas sobre bangungut","volume":"8","author":"Mendoza-Guazon","year":"1917","journal-title":"Rev Filip Med Fam"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1754","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm12111754","article-title":"Broad electrocardiogram syndromes spectrum: from common emergencies to particular electrical heart disorders","volume":"12","author":"Balta","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Pers Med"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"541","DOI":"10.1097\/00000441-195322650-00011","article-title":"Electrocardiographic pattern simulating acute myocardial injury","volume":"226","author":"Osher","year":"1953","journal-title":"Am J Med Sci"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1391","DOI":"10.1016\/0735-1097(92)90253-J","article-title":"Right bundle branch block, persistent ST segment elevation and sudden cardiac death: a distinct clinical and electrocardiographic syndrome. 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