Outcomes for patients with rheumatic heart disease after cardiac surgery followed at rural district hospitals in Rwanda.
Heart
; 104(20): 1707-1713, 2018 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29678896
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In sub-Saharan Africa, continued clinical follow-up, after cardiac surgery, is only available at urban referral centres. We implemented a decentralised, integrated care model to provide longitudinal care for patients with advanced rheumatic heart disease (RHD) at district hospitals in rural Rwanda before and after heart surgery.METHODS:
We collected data from charts at non-communicable disease (NCD) clinics at three rural district hospitals in Rwanda to describe the outcomes of 54 patients with RHD who received cardiac valve surgery during 2007-2015.RESULTS:
The majority of patients were adults (46/54; 85%), and 74% were females. The median age at the time of surgery was 22 years in adults and 11 years in children. Advanced symptoms-New York Heart Association class III or IV-were present in 83% before surgery and only 4% afterwards. The mitral valve was the most common valve requiring surgery. Valvular surgery consisted mostly of a single valve (56%) and double valve (41%). Patients were followed for a median of 3 years (range 0.2-7.9) during which 7.4% of them died; all deaths were patients who had undergone bioprosthetic valve replacement. For patients with mechanical valves, anticoagulation was checked at 96% of visits. There were no known bleeding or thrombotic events requiring hospitalisation.CONCLUSION:
Outcomes of postoperative patients with RHD tracked in rural Rwanda health facilities were generally good. With appropriate training and supervision, it is feasible to safely decentralise follow-up of patients with RHD to nurse-led specialised NCD clinics after cardiac surgery.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rheumatic Heart Disease
/
Cardiac Surgical Procedures
/
Hospitals, District
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Journal:
Heart
Journal subject:
CARDIOLOGIA
Year:
2018
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Rwanda