Frequency of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in patients with implanted pacemaker

Guillermo Mora, María Clara Echeverry, Gustavo Enrique Rey, Myriam Consuelo López, Luisa Fernanda Posada, Fabio Aurelio Rivas, .

Keywords: Trypanosoma cruzi, Chagas cardiomyopathy, bradycardia, pacemaker, artificial, prevalence, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. In Colombia the impact of infections of Trypanosoma cruzi are known to produce chronic cardiopathy and expressed by bradycardia. In Colombia the extent and impact of these infections has not been examined.
Objective. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. cruzi infection as measured by serology, in a population of patients with cardiopathy that required a permanent pacemaker as treatment for cardiac rhythm abnormalities and conduction blocking.
Materials and methods. A cross sectional study sampled 332 patients from the pacemaker clinic at the San Pedro Claver Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, for one year (2004-2005). Epidemiological and clinical data were obtained through interviews and physical examination. Serological tests consisted of indirect inmunofluorescence assay and ELISA. Statistical analyses were accomplished with chi-square and Students' t tests.
Results. Of patients with pacemakers, 17.1% had anti-T. cruzi antibodies (seropositive). At the time when the pacemaker was implanted, chronic Chagas' disease patients were younger
(55±13 years) than those patients with cardiopathy (60±17 years) with no anti-T. cruzi antibodies (p<0.01). The seropositive group was aware of the Chagas' disease vector (83.6%) in contrast to the seronegative group (39.6%, p<0.001). In 60% of the patients of the seropositive group, no clinical signs of the disease were apparent. The geographical origin of the seropositive group were traced to regions in Colombia known to be endemic for Chagas´ disease transmission.
Conclusion. Chagas´ disease prevalence is high in Colombian patients who required a permanent cardiac pacemaker. Chronic Chagas' disease patients required pacemaker implant
at a younger age in contrast with patients with other cardiac pathologies. The clinical recognition of Chagas´ disease associated with cardiopathy is low despite the epidemiological data.

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  • Guillermo Mora Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
  • María Clara Echeverry Laboratorio de Parasitología, Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. D.C., Colombia
  • Gustavo Enrique Rey Facultad de Medicina Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
  • Myriam Consuelo López Laboratorio de Parasitología, Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
  • Luisa Fernanda Posada Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. D.C., Colombia
  • Fabio Aurelio Rivas Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C.

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How to Cite
1.
Mora G, Echeverry MC, Rey GE, López MC, Posada LF, Rivas FA. Frequency of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in patients with implanted pacemaker. biomedica [Internet]. 2007 Dec. 1 [cited 2024 May 18];27(4):483-9. Available from: https://revistabiomedica.org/index.php/biomedica/article/view/122

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Published
2007-12-01
Section
Original articles

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