Changing pattern of rheumatic fever in a paediatric ward : then and now

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the socio-demographic and clinical features of children with primary episode of rheumatic fever (RF) during two periods of time and to attempt a comparison of the clinical features with previously published data from the same ward at Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), Colombo.   

Method: Children admitted to University Paediatric Unit with the primary episode of RF based on the revised Jones criteria, were studied. Socio-demographic and clinical features were recorded prospectively from August 1994 to August 1999 and compared with data collected retrospectively from January 2004 to December 2008. Respecting the limitations, an attempt was made to compare this data with previously published data from the same ward during a period of ten years from 1966, when the primary episode of RF was diagnosed based on the modified Jones criteria.

Results: There were 91 children from 1994 to 1999 and 52 (57%) were boys. Majority were >5 years and from families with a monthly income

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health 2010; 39: 17-21

(Key words:  Sri Lanka, children, rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease)

doi: 10.4038/sljch.v39i1.1629