Acute rheumatic fever prophylaxis in high-income countries: clinical observations from an Italian multicentre, retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to evaluate the compliance rate to secondary prophylaxis and the presence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in a cohort of Italian patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF). METHODS: This is a multicentre retrospective study. The patients were divided into two groups by the presence or absence at last follow-up of RHD. Clinical features, ARF recurrences and the rate of compliance to secondary prophylaxis were evaluated. RESULTS: Two-hundred and ninety patients were enrolled (137 females; 153 males). Carditis at onset was present in 244 patients (84.7%). At the end of follow-up, 173 patients manifested RHD. Adherence to secondary prophylaxis was low in 26% of patients. The presence of RHD at follow-up was associated with the presence of carditis and its severity at onset (p=0.001), but it was not related to secondary prophylaxis adherence (p=NS). No association between prophylaxis adherence and ARF recurrence was found (p=NS) nor between ARF recurrence and RHD at the end of follow-up (p=NS). CONCLUSIONS: Poor adherence to secondary prophylaxis does not seem to be associated with increased risk of RHD in developed countries. Further studies are needed to confirm our data in a larger population.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in a Sicilian pediatric population: risk factors, epidemiology, and severity.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children worldwide. This study evaluated the epidemiological and clinical patterns of RSV infection in infants hospitalized for LRTIs in Sicily. Over a 7-month period (October 1, 2005 to April 30, 2006), all children <2 years of age hospitalized for LRTIs were evaluated and tested for respiratory viruses. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors associated with RSV infection and with more severe disease. One hundred sixty-four children were enrolled and 40.9% were found to be RSV(+). The epidemic peak of RSV occurred in April, and no cases were observed in October, November, and December. RSV Infections had the highest incidence in children <3 months of age (54.7%). The likelihood to be RSV(+) rather than RSV(-) was lower for female gender and children >6 months old, with a gestational age (GA) of >36 weeks, with a birth weight of >2.50 g, with previous hospitalizations due to LRTI, with smokers in the household, and with a history of breast-feeding (p < 0.05 for each). RSV infection was associated with a higher likelihood to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units and to longer hospitalizations (p = 0.061). The collected data show that, in Sicily, RSV is an important cause of LRTIs in infants and a variety of factors, such as gender, chronological age at hospitalization, GA, birth weight, and exposure to tobacco smoke and breast-feeding may affect the prevalence of RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease and, possibly, the risk of developing asthma-like symptoms during the school years.