Rama Kumari
Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Cardiovasc Pharm
Objective: To determine the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) using clinical and echocardiographic criteria in rural and urban school children of Andhra Pradesh, South India. Materials & Methods: A total of 4213 school children between 5 and 16 years of age were screened. 1177 were from rural schools and 3036 from urban schools. Prevalence of RHD and CHD was estimated. Results: Clinically, RHD was present in 3 (prevalence 0.7/1000). Using echocardiography RHD was detected in 32 (7.6/1000), 11 (7.3/1000) from rural and 21 (7/1000) from urban schools. (P=0.000, OR=0.093 and CI=0.023-0.317). Total prevalence of RHD is 8.3/1000. Clinically CHD was present in 39 (9.2/1000) children, rural 9 (7.6/1000) and urban 30 (9.9/1000). Using echocardiogram CHD was detected in 44 (10.4/1000) children, rural 11 (9.3/1000) and urban 33 (10.8/1000). Conclusion: RHD was detected several fold using echocardiographic screening than by clinical examination alone. Longitudinal follow-up of children with echocardiographically diagnosed subclinical RHD is needed.
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