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Brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE) risk criteria

Classifies an infant BRUE as lower- or higher-risk.

Brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE) risk criteria
Age >60 days
Gestational age ≥32 weeks and postconceptional age ≥45 weeks
No CPR by a trained medical provider
Event lasted <1 minute
First event (no prior BRUE)
ResultHigher-risk BRUE

One or more lower-risk criteria not met — higher risk; further evaluation and observation are warranted.

Lower-risk criteria met
0 of 5

When to use

  • Classifying an infant <1 year after a brief, resolved, unexplained event to guide the extent of evaluation.

Formula

A BRUE is lower-risk only if ALL are true: age >60 days; gestational age ≥32 weeks and postconceptional age ≥45 weeks; no CPR by a trained provider; event <1 minute; and it is the first event. Any criterion not met makes it higher-risk.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • A BRUE requires that no explanation is found after history and examination — an identified cause is not a BRUE.

References

  1. Tieder JS, et al. Pediatrics. 2016;137(5):e20160590.