Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Concern regarding the cardiotoxicity of antimalarials has been renewed because of their potential to cause QT/QTc interval prolongation related to torsade de pointes (TdP). Artemisinin-piperaquine (AP) is considered an effective artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for malaria.
METHODS:
This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data of 93 hospitalized malaria patients who had received AP orally. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained at specific time points in the original study.
RESULTS:
Some cases of QT prolongation were observed. However, no TdP was found.
CONCLUSIONS:
AP may cause QT interval prolongation in some malaria patients but may not lead to TdP.
Keywords:
ECG; QT; Artemisinin-piperaquine; Malaria; Cambodia
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