The patient, a 56-year-old male, was admitted to the emergency department due to confusion and elevated body temperature persisting for 1 d. He presented with multiple organ dysfunction, including coagulation dysfunction, respiratory failure, abnormal liver and kidney function, and gastrointestinal disorders. After excluding other potential causes, a diagnosis of heatstroke was made. Additionally, the patient exhibited myocardial injury and Brugada phenocopy, as evidenced by ST-segment elevation and Brugada wave on electrocardiogram. These findings may be related to several mechanisms such as myocardial thermal injury, systemic inflammatory response after heat stress, and abnormal function of temperator-sensitive ion channels. It is necessary to strengthen the understanding of heatstroke-related myocardial injury and Brugada phenotypy to help improve the treatment and prognosis of heatstroke.
LI Yaomin, XU Jianguo, YU Xia. Brugada phenocopy induced by heatstroke: a case report. Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Medical Science)[J], 2025, 45(4): 523-528 doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8115.2025.04.016
患者出院后2周、2个月、4个月分别电话随访,截止时间2024年12月26日。患者出院后按照医嘱:定期复查肝肾功能、预防血栓,康复医院继续治疗。患者康复医院治疗2周后意识渐醒。目前意识清楚,精神佳,表达时逻辑清楚但因气管切开后声音较小,四肢有不自觉颤动表现,可由辅助坐起进半流食。但不能下床活动,不能站立或者独立坐起进食,夜间需高枕安睡。截至随访结束患者无夜间端坐呼吸,无水肿、气急等急性心力衰竭发作的表现,心功能评估为美国纽约心脏协会(New York Heart Association,NYHA)心功能分级Ⅲ级,并且无心悸、晕厥等症状出现。目前仍在康复医院康复治疗中。
LI Yaomin participated in the writing and revision of the paper; XU Jianguo participated in the collection of clinical data; YU Xia participated in the review and revision of the paper. All authors have read the final manuscript and agreed to the submission.
利益冲突声明
所有作者声明不存在利益冲突。
COMPETING INTERESTS
All authors disclose no relevant conflict of interests.
ROMANELLO M, DI NAPOLI C, GREEN C, et al. The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms[J]. Lancet, 2023, 402(10419): 2346-2394.
Military Heat Stroke Prevention and Control Expert Group, Heat Stroke Emergency Diagnosis and Treatment Expert Consensus Group. Expert consensus on emergency diagnosis and treatment of heat stroke (2021 edition)[J]. Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2021, 30(11): 1290-1299.
XIA R, SUN M, LI Y L, et al. The pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of heat stroke-induced myocardial injury[J]. Front Pharmacol, 2024, 14: 1286556.
BAO C H, FENG Q, ZHANG C, et al. Heat stroke with significantly elevated troponin and dynamic ECG changes: myocardial infarction or myocardial injury?[J]. Am J Med Sci, 2024, 368(3): 258-264.
ZHANG B Y, LUO X, LUO Z, et al. Comparison on myocardial injury in rats with classic versus exertional heat stroke[J]. Journal of Army Medical University,2023, 45(17): 1779-1789.
ZHAI Y J, XU C, XUE X, et al. Clinical significance of electrocardiographic ST-T abnormalities in patients with exertional heat stroke[J]. China Health Standard Management, 2021, 12(12): 99-101.
LIU N N, WANG C X. Analysis of moderate heat spasm meanwhile rhabdomyolysis misdiagnosed as acute myocardial infarction[J]. Clinical Misdiagnosis and Mistreatment, 2017, 30(3): 19-21.
AMUSINA O, MEHTA S, NELSON M E. Brugada phenocopy secondary to hyperkalemia and hyponatremia in primary adrenal insufficiency[J]. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open, 2022, 3(4): e12800.
ELIKOWSKI W, ŁAZOWSKI S, FERTAŁA N, et al. Brugada phenocopy in pulmonary embolism: clinicopathological case study and literature review[J]. Pol Merkur Lekarski, 2022, 50(300): 378-383.
LANCINI D, SHETTY R. Tension pneumothorax: a Brugada phenocopy and ST-elevation myocardial infarction mimic[J]. Eur Heart J, 2020, 41(23): 2163.
DE OLIVEIRA NETO N R, DE OLIVEIRA W S, MASTROCOLA F, et al. Brugada phenocopy: mechanisms, diagnosis, and implications[J]. J Electrocardiol, 2019, 55: 45-50.
YUE M H, ZHENG J C, ZHU J X, et al. Research progress in fever-induced Brugada syndrome[J]. Journal of Practical Electrocardiology, 2019, 28(5): 356-359, 364.