Preliminary analysis of the high resolution ECG for assessment of arrhythmia risk in chagasic myocarditis

Mal de Chagas, a tropical infection, is a major public health problem in Latin America. The infection can lend to heart disease-chagasic myocarditis-ultimately resulting in arrhythmic death. The high resolution electrocardiogram may offer a means of monitoring the evolution of chagasic myocarditis. The authors attempt to identify, 2 distinct stages in this evolution. (1) Initial cardiac involvement in chagasic subjects, and (2) susceptibility to ventricular tachycardia, a life-threatening arrhythmia. Preliminary results suggest that the high resolution electrocardiogram may contain information that is potentially useful for managing chagasic patients