BRASH Syndrome: Bradycardia, Renal Failure, AV Blockade, Shock, and Hyperkalemia.

BACKGROUND: BRASH syndrome, or Bradycardia, Renal Failure, AV blockade, Shock, and Hyperkalemia, has recently become recognized as a collection of objective findings in a specific clinical context pertaining to emergency medicine and critical care. However, there is little emergency medicine and critical care literature specifically evaluating this condition. OBJECTIVE: We sought to define and review BRASH syndrome and identify specific management techniques that differ from the syndromes as they present individually. DISCUSSION: BRASH syndrome is initiated by synergistic bradycardia due to the combination of hyperkalemia and medications that block the atrioventricular (AV) node. The most common precipitant is hypovolemia or medications promoting hyperkalemia or renal injury. Left untreated, this may result in deteriorating renal function, worsening hyperkalemia, and hemodynamic instability. Patients can present with a variety of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic bradycardia to multiorgan failure. BRASH syndrome should be differentiated from isolated hyperkalemia and overdose of AV-nodal blocking medications. Treatment includes fluid resuscitation, hyperkalemia therapies (intravenous calcium, insulin/glucose, beta agonists, diuresis), management of bradycardia (which may necessitate epinephrine infusion), and more advanced therapies if needed (lipid emulsion, glucagon, or high-dose insulin infusion). Understanding and recognizing the pathophysiology of BRASH syndrome as a distinct entity may improve patient outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: BRASH syndrome can be a difficult diagnosis and is due to a combination of hyperkalemia and medications that block the AV node. Knowledge of this condition may assist emergency and critical care providers.

Urinary Tract Infection Causing Bradycardia, Renal Failure, Atrioventricular Nodal Blockade, Shock, and Hyperkalemia (BRASH) Syndrome: A Case Report and a Brief Review of the Literature.

Bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular (AV) nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia (BRASH) syndrome commonly occurs in the elderly population with compromised renal function and a history of taking AV nodal blocking agents on a regular basis. Hypovolemia and worsening of renal function are considered to be the major risk factors. BRASH syndrome should be differentiated from pure intoxication with AV nodal blocking agents, as the therapeutic goals of these conditions are different from each other. It encompasses a vicious cycle of bradycardia and decreased cardiac output leading to organ dysfunction including renal failure with hyperkalemia, further augmenting bradycardia. It is usually associated with high morbidity and mortality. Typically, the treatment involves increasing renal blood flow by augmenting cardiac output using catecholamine infusion. Very rarely, interventions such as intralipid emulsion and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) may be required on a case-to-case basis. Promptly recognizing the symptoms of BRASH syndrome can help to avoid diagnostic delays and reduce mortality rates.