ABSTRACT
Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are still important problems in developing countries. Secondary prophylaxis which is the most cost-effective method in preventing recurrences of rheumatic fever is fraught with problems of drug compliance. The utility of 500 mg once weekly azithromycin (AZT), an orally effective long-acting antibiotic was evaluated against oral penicillin (phenoxy methyl penicillin 250 mg twice daily) in this study. Forty-eight consecutive patients (44% males, mean age 29.4 years) with established RHD were randomised into two groups-26 patients received AZT and 22 received oral penicillin. Patients were evaluated at randomisation, at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, clinically, serologically and by throat swab culture. End points were absence of streptococcal colonisation, infection or fever at the end of 6 months. During the study, 4 patients (15.4%) in the AZT group developed sore throat and fever, had positive throat culture and positive serology indicating streptococcal infection. None satisfied the criteria for rheumatic fever reactivation. None in the oral penicillin group developed streptococcal infection. In conclusion, weekly 500 mg of AZT is not effective in the prevention of streptococcal throat infection compared to oral penicillin therapy in adult patients with established RHD.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Azithromycin/administration & dosage , Penicillin V/administration & dosage , Pharyngitis/prevention & control , Rheumatic Fever/prevention & control , Secondary Prevention/methods , Streptococcal Infections/prevention & control , Administration, Oral , Adult , Developing Countries , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , India , Male , Pharyngitis/diagnosis , Pharyngitis/microbiology , Rheumatic Fever/diagnosis , Rheumatic Fever/microbiology , Streptococcal Infections/diagnosis , Streptococcal Infections/microbiology , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. A 32-year-old man presented with effort angina. He had a positive treadmill exercise electrocardiogram test, and coronary angiography showed that he had dissection of all major coronary vessels. The left anterior descending coronary artery was completely blocked, probably secondary to dissection and subsequent occlusion. He was advised to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery, to which he did not agree; instead, he was treated by medication and followed up.
Subject(s)
Aortic Dissection/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Coronary Angiography , Adult , Aortic Dissection/therapy , Coronary Aneurysm/therapy , Humans , Male , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
During a 7 year period from 1984 to 1991, 100 infants underwent either balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) (n = 92) or blade septostomy (BLS) (n = 8). The indication was complete transposition of the great arteries in all the patients. The mean age in the BAS group was 1.8 +/- 1.5 months while that in the infants requiring BLS due to a thick septum was 3.03 +/- 2.29 months. The degree of improvement in arterial oxygen saturation in both groups was satisfactory -27.16 +/- 14.06% in the BAS group vs 23.5 +/- 12.18% in the BLS group. There were no procedure related deaths in the BLS group, through only monoplane fluoroscopy was used in 6/8 patients. Three patients however died following balloon septostomy. We conclude that BLS is a safe and effective alternative to surgical septostomy when performed with due care. Two dimensional echocardiography during BAS enhances the speed and safety of the procedure and helps to identify patients who may require BLS due to a thick interatrial septum.
