Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Chronic infection by Trypanosoma cruzi could cause heart conduction disturbances. We sought to analyze electrocardiographic abnormalities among children with chronic T. cruzi infection with and without trypanocidal treatment with benznidazole.We studied 111 children 6-16 years of age with asymptomat...

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Main Authors: Lisandro D Colantonio, Nilda Prado, Elsa L Segura, Sergio Sosa-Estani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-05-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861278?pdf=render
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author Lisandro D Colantonio
Nilda Prado
Elsa L Segura
Sergio Sosa-Estani
author_facet Lisandro D Colantonio
Nilda Prado
Elsa L Segura
Sergio Sosa-Estani
author_sort Lisandro D Colantonio
collection DOAJ
description Chronic infection by Trypanosoma cruzi could cause heart conduction disturbances. We sought to analyze electrocardiographic abnormalities among children with chronic T. cruzi infection with and without trypanocidal treatment with benznidazole.We studied 111 children 6-16 years of age with asymptomatic chronic T. cruzi infection who were recruited in 1991-1992 in Salta, Argentina. Most children were randomly assigned to benznidazole 5 mg/Kg/day (n = 47) or matching placebo (n = 48) for 60 days. Remaining children (n = 16) received treatment with benznidazole 5 mg/Kg/day open-label. Electrocardiograms were obtained at baseline and in 1995-1996, 1998, 2000 and 2005, and were analyzed using the Buenos Aires method. Among the 94 children with an electrocardiogram at baseline, 8 (8.5%) had electrocardiographic abnormalities, including 4 (4.7%) children with right bundle branch block. Proportion of abnormal electrocardiograms in the full population (n = 111) remained constant over time (media follow-up 8.6 years). Multivariable adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval [95%CI]) for electrocardiographic abnormalities in 1995-1996, 1998, 2000 and 2005 comparing children treated with benznidazole versus those not treated were 2.76 (0.66, 11.60), 2.33 (0.44, 12.31), 3.06 (0.48, 19.56), and 1.94 (0.33, 11.25), respectively. Among the 86 children with a normal electrocardiogram at baseline, 16 (18.6%) developed electrocardiographic abnormalities during follow-up. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratio for incident electrocardiographic abnormalities comparing children treated with benznidazole versus those not treated was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.25, 1.88).Electrocardiographic abnormalities are frequent among children with chronic T. cruzi infection. Treatment with benznidazole for 60 days may not be associated with less electrocardiographic abnormalities.
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spelling doaj.art-9441b9e502344fa7a2661867bca512662022-12-21T18:52:57ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352016-05-01105e000465110.1371/journal.pntd.0004651Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Lisandro D ColantonioNilda PradoElsa L SeguraSergio Sosa-EstaniChronic infection by Trypanosoma cruzi could cause heart conduction disturbances. We sought to analyze electrocardiographic abnormalities among children with chronic T. cruzi infection with and without trypanocidal treatment with benznidazole.We studied 111 children 6-16 years of age with asymptomatic chronic T. cruzi infection who were recruited in 1991-1992 in Salta, Argentina. Most children were randomly assigned to benznidazole 5 mg/Kg/day (n = 47) or matching placebo (n = 48) for 60 days. Remaining children (n = 16) received treatment with benznidazole 5 mg/Kg/day open-label. Electrocardiograms were obtained at baseline and in 1995-1996, 1998, 2000 and 2005, and were analyzed using the Buenos Aires method. Among the 94 children with an electrocardiogram at baseline, 8 (8.5%) had electrocardiographic abnormalities, including 4 (4.7%) children with right bundle branch block. Proportion of abnormal electrocardiograms in the full population (n = 111) remained constant over time (media follow-up 8.6 years). Multivariable adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence interval [95%CI]) for electrocardiographic abnormalities in 1995-1996, 1998, 2000 and 2005 comparing children treated with benznidazole versus those not treated were 2.76 (0.66, 11.60), 2.33 (0.44, 12.31), 3.06 (0.48, 19.56), and 1.94 (0.33, 11.25), respectively. Among the 86 children with a normal electrocardiogram at baseline, 16 (18.6%) developed electrocardiographic abnormalities during follow-up. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratio for incident electrocardiographic abnormalities comparing children treated with benznidazole versus those not treated was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.25, 1.88).Electrocardiographic abnormalities are frequent among children with chronic T. cruzi infection. Treatment with benznidazole for 60 days may not be associated with less electrocardiographic abnormalities.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861278?pdf=render
spellingShingle Lisandro D Colantonio
Nilda Prado
Elsa L Segura
Sergio Sosa-Estani
Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
title_full Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
title_fullStr Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
title_full_unstemmed Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
title_short Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Treatment with Benznidazole among Children with Chronic Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
title_sort electrocardiographic abnormalities and treatment with benznidazole among children with chronic infection by trypanosoma cruzi a retrospective cohort study
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4861278?pdf=render
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