Estudo comparativo da freqüência da morte súbita inesperada por doença de Chagas, em Uberaba, nos anos de 1980 e 1990

Abstract

A comparison was made between the years 1980 and 1990 for the frequency and causes of sudden death occurring in the urban and rural areas of the city of Uberaba in individuals older than 15 years. It aims mainly to analyse the current frequency of sudden death in that region and to evaluate the impact, it any, of prophylaxis and therapy on sudden death due to Chagas' disease. For the 1226 deaths cases studied from our 1980, 54 (4.4%) were sudden ones; out of these, 13 (24.1%) were supposedly due to Chagas' disease. For the 1740 death cases studied form our 1990 series, 44 (2.5%) were sudden ones; out of these, only 3 (6.8%) were considered to be due to Chagas' disease. The results indicate a significant decrease in the frequency both for sudden death in general and for sudden death due to Chagas' disease when the year 1990 is compared with 1980. Probable explanations for the findings are discussed.

Sudden death in patients with Chagas disease

“…Studies realized by the author during 1980, in an endemic area of American trypanosomiasis (Lopes & Chapadeiro 1983) indicated that CD was responsible for 24.1% of the SUD in the city of Uberaba. A similar study carried out 10 years later (Lopes et al 1995) showed that the frequency of this type of SD had fallen to 6.8%. Data gathered in a field study (Macedo 1973) suggested that SUD occurs in approximately 37.5% of the chagasic patients which live in endemic areas.…”

Sudden cardiac death in Chagas' heart disease in the contemporary era

“…Moreover, sudden cardiac death due to Chagas' disease represents up to 7% of total mortality as assessed by death certificates in areas where the disease is endemic [13]. The incidence of sudden cardiac death in a general, unselected cohort of patients with Chagas' disease may be as high as 5% annually [14].…”