einstein (São Paulo). 01/Jul/2014;12(3):389.

Negative association between right bundle branch block and inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in Chagas disease

DOI: 10.1590/S1679-45082014CE3126

AUTHOR’S REPLY

We are grateful for the interest and comments of our colleague on our study. We agree that the association between right bundle branch block and lower level of induction of ventricular arrhythmias in Chagas patients is unprecedented and interesting. However, this is only an initial observation in a reduced number of patients. Future investigations, including studies properly designed for this purpose and with adequate population samples are needed for any definitive cause and effect relation between right bundle branch block and ventricular arrhythmia induction to be established.

The present study has a purely descriptive design and is not intended to determine causal relations. The association found between a lower level of ventricular arrhythmia induction and right bundle branch block was only observed in the univariate analysis, and was not confirmed in the multivariate analysis, which suggests that the association is not causal. For this reason, and in order to avoid an erroneous interpretation on the part of readers, we chose to not discuss the finding, although it is possible that the methodological aspects explained above might be incorporated into the discussion of the manuscript, pointing out the unique aspect of this finding as well as its limitations.

[…]