[A longitudinal electrocardiogram study of Chagas' disease from the acute phase]

Several studies have been done to analyse the relationship between the characteristics of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and mortality in the several stages of the disease, using different methods like multiple case and longitudinal studies. We analysed the ECG from the acute stage up to twenty years of follow-up (+/- 9 years) in 42 patients with Chagas' disease to determine their evolution and it's value like an index for therapeutic evaluation. The 42 patients (18 female, 24 males) were originally from the north of the State of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and the initial stage was mainly in the first two decades of age. All bad cardiac involvement and received full specific treatment. We utilized the following criteria for the ECG analyses: Modified Minnesota Code for Chagas' disease; WHO/ISFC TASK FORCE for inter ventricular conduction disturbances and Pieretti criteria for inactive electrical areas. We conclude that: a) The electrocardiogram changes tend to get worse with evolution into the chronic stage; b) The electrocardiogram is not a good index for therapeutic valuation.