Rheumatic fever in the eighties: the Barbadian experience - abstract

ABSTRACT

A retrospective review of yearly admissions of acute rheumatic fever between 1971 and 1990, showed a declining trend with relative stability since 1986. The incidence rate of acute rheumatic fever (new attacks/year) was 2/100,000 total population of 7/100,000 childhood population < 19 years of age or 9/100,000 school children. The incidence rate per 10,000 hospital admissions was a high of 20 in 1971 and has remained a low of three since 1986. There were no significant differences in presentation in the period 1981-1985 when compared with the period 1986-1990, using chi square analyses. The only exception was carditis (without concomitant arthritis), which was significantly more frequent in the latter half of the decade. This low incidence of acute rheumatic fever should not give rise to complacency in its control, as there is an unexplained resurgence in developed countries (AU)