A 34-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a complaint of palpitations and dizziness that began suddenly while he was at rest. He reports feeling lightheaded and experiencing a rapid, irregular heart rate, but denies chest pain or shortness of breath. The symptoms resolved after a few minutes, but he remains concerned about the recurrence of these episodes.

His medical history is unremarkable, and he has no previous history of syncope or cardiovascular disease. He leads an active lifestyle, exercising regularly, and has no family history of sudden cardiac death or arrhythmias. His physical examination is normal, and his vital signs are stable.

An ECG is performed, revealing a very short QT interval (less than 300 ms) along with a normal sinus rhythm. His laboratory tests and echocardiogram are unremarkable. Given his symptoms and the abnormal ECG finding, he is diagnosed with short QT syndrome, a rare inherited disorder that predisposes individuals to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

The patient is referred to a cardiologist for further evaluation and management. He is advised to avoid high-risk situations that may trigger arrhythmias, and the possibility of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is discussed. Genetic testing is ordered to assess for any familial inheritance of the condition.