Rheumatic fever in Iraqi children

ABSTRACT

A prospective study of 122 patients with rheumatic fever is reported with special emphasis on the clinical presentation and the relation with streptococcal infection. Arthritis was present in 70 [57.4%] of the cases and the most commonly involved were the big joints, carditis was not uncommon 47 [38.5%] of the cases but congestive heart failure was present in 3 [2.5%] of the cases and pericardial effusion was present in 2 [1.6%] of the cases. In spite of the fact that most of the patients, 112 [92%] had received antibiotics therapy prior to the illness, there was positive evidence of streptococcal infection, both direct [by a positive throat swab in 27 [22.1%] of the cases] and indirect by [elevated A.S.O. titer above 333 units] in 97 [79.4%] of the cases], which signifies inadequate therapy, that warrents a more accurate recognition and prevention