ABSTRACT
This study was made to evaluate the value of the IHA test for streptococcal antibodies in children with acute rheumatic fever in comparison with the conventional ASO titer. The upper limit titers of ASO and IHA in control group were 170 and 640 respectively. All sera from 37 patients with rheumatic fever had IHA titers over 640. In contrast, the level of ASO titer above upper normal limits was found in only 62% of these cases. This report present data which favours the use of IHA test. Its sensitivity is very similar to that of the commercial Anti Streptozyme test. In addition, the test is simple and could be performed economically. More studies are needed to evaluate the test further. If the results proved as favourable as this report a negative test would be of a considerable value in excluding the diagnosis of acute, rheumatic fever especially in questionable cases.
Subject(s)
Acute Disease , Adolescent , Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Antistreptolysin/analysis , Child , Female , Hemagglutination Tests , Humans , Male , Rheumatic Fever/diagnosis , Streptococcus pyogenes/immunologySubject(s)
Acute Disease , Adolescent , Child , Female , Furosemide/pharmacology , Hemodynamics/drug effects , Humans , Male , Mitral Valve Stenosis/drug therapyABSTRACT
One hundred consecutive cases of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease who were seen at Department of Pediatrics. Ramathibodi Hospital were reviewed. Particular attention was given to the pattern and the outcome of the cardiac status of the patients. The high incidence of severe carditis and tight mitral stenosis was similar to most reports from other developing countries. There was a poor prognosis for the cardiac status of those who came late, had more than valvular lesions, were in congestive heart failure, or had preexisting heart disease and atrial fibrillation. In spite of this, 6 patients had no evidence of heart disease after being followed up for less than 5 years.