Author(s)

Liliane Mfeukeu-Kuate^1,2, William Djomo Ngatchou^3*, Mazou Ngou Temgoua², Charles Kouanfack^1,4, Daniel Lemoungoum⁵, Joel Noutakdie Tochie⁶, Armel Zemsi¹, Lauriane Fomete¹, Skinner Lekelem⁷, Sylvain Zemsi², Joelle Sobngwi⁶, Thierry Ntandzi¹, Christian Ngongang Ouankou⁴, Yves Wasnyo¹, Antoinette Tsama Assiga¹, Jan René Nkeck², Ahmadou Musa Jingi⁸, Magellan Guewo¹, Eric Walter Pefura Yone^2,9, Charlotte Moussi Omgba¹⁰, Paul Owono Etoundi^1,11, Jean Cyr Yombi¹², Samuel Kingue², Alain Menanga², Jacqueline Ze Minkande¹¹, Pierre Ongolo Zogo^1,12, Jean Claude Mbanya^1,2, Pierre Joseph Fouda^1,11, Eugène Sobngwi^1,2

¹Central Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
²Department of Internal Medicine and specialities, Faculty of Médicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaounde I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
³Department of Surgery, University of Douala, Hypertension Clinic and Cardiac Surgery, Department St Pierre Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
⁴Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Dschang University, Dschang, Cameroon.
⁵Hypertension Clinic and Cardiology Department, Erasme Hospital, University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
⁶Research-Health and Development, Yaoundé Cameroon and London School of Economics and Political Sciences, London, UK.
⁷ANRS Cameroon, Yaoundé, Camerroon.
⁸Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon.
⁹Jamot Hospital of Yaounde, Yaounde, Cameroon.
¹⁰Regional Public Health Delegation for the Centre, Ministry of Public Health Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
¹¹Department of Surgery and Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
¹²Centre for the Development of Good Health Practices, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Objective: To determine the early electrocardiographic changes in a cohort of ambulatory cameroonian COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychlo- roquine and Azithromycin. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Treatment centres of the city of Yaounde, Cameroon, from May 7^th to 24^th 2020. Participants: We enrolled 51 consecutive confirmed COVID-19 on RT-PCR who having mild forms of COVID-19 and treated by hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice daily during seven #days plus Azithromycin 500 mg the first day and 250 mg the remaining 4 days as per national standard. Main Outcomes Measures: The primary end-point was the change in QTc interval between day 0 (D0), day 3 (D3) and day 7 (D7). Secondary endpoints were changes in all other cardiac electrical conductivity patterns and the occurrence of clinical arrhythmic events during the course of treatment. Results: The population (29 men and 22 women) was aged 39 ± 11 years (range 17 to 61 years). Mean Tisdale score was 3.35 ± 0.48. No significant change from baseline (D0) of QTc was observed at D7 (429 ± 27 ms at D0 versus 396 ± 26 ms at D7; p = 0.27). A reduction of heart rate was observed between the D0 and D7 (75 ± 13 bpm versus 70 ± 13 bpm, p = 0.02) with increased QRS duration between D0 and D7 (95 ± 10 ms versus 102 ± 17 ms, p = 0.004). No symptomatic arrhythmic events occurred during the treatment course. Conclusions: No life-threatening modification of the QT interval was observed in non-severe COVID-19 patients treated ambulatory with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Studies are needed in critical-ill and older patients.

Early Electrocardiographic Changes, COVID-19, Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, Cameroon

Mfeukeu-Kuate, L. , Ngatchou, W. , Temgoua, M. , Kouanfack, C. , Lemoungoum, D. , Tochie, J. , Zemsi, A. , Fomete, L. , Lekelem, S. , Zemsi, S. , Sobngwi, J. , Ntandzi, T. , Ouankou, C. , Wasnyo, Y. , Assiga, A. , Nkeck, J. , Jingi, A. , Guewo, M. , Yone, E. , Omgba, C. , Etoundi, P. , Yombi, J. , Kingue, S. , Menanga, A. , Minkande, J. , Zogo, P. , Mbanya, J. , Fouda, P. and Sobngwi, E. (2021) Electrocardiographic Safety of Daily Hydroxychloroquine 400 mg Plus Azithromycin 250 mg as an Ambulatory Treatment for COVID-19 Patients in Cameroon. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 11, 106-112. doi: 10.4236/wjcd.2021.112012.