Investigations - Flecainide Challenge

This is a specialised test carried out to look for an unusual but important condition called Brugada syndrome. This is a rare inherited condition that may cause dangerous arrhythmias, and is one cause of sudden unexplained death in young people. See diagnosis section, sudden death.

The test is very simple to perform, and just involves the injection of a drug called flecainide into an arm vein over a few minutes. An electrical recording of the heart (ECG) is monitored and if Brugada syndrome is present, typical changes in the ECG are seen. The patient is usually monitored for a few hours after the test as rarely arrhythmias are seen.

If diagnosed, treatment with an implantable defibrillator is often recommended. See treatment section, implantable defibrillator.