[Fetal supraventricular tachycardia and nonimmune fetal hydrops]. / Taquicardia supraventricular fetal e hidropsia fetal não-imunitária.

A case of non-immunitary hydrops fetalis, following supraventricular tachycardia, in a fetus of 29 weeks of a 28-year-old woman at the first pregnancy, who evolved with systemic hypertension and amniorrhexis, being submitted to cesarean deliver. The child needed bilateral thoracic drainage and oro-tracheal intubation for treatment of respiratory failure. Treated with digoxin and diuretic, the newborn went home at the 56th day of life. The authors emphasize the importance of the intrauterine diagnosis of the arrhythmia for the success of the treatment.

Evaluation of secondary prophylactic schemes, based on benzathine penicillin G, for rheumatic fever in children.

Serum concentrations of penicillin were measured in children with rheumatic fever. The adequacy of the values after administration of 1.2 million units of benzathine penicillin G every 2 or 3 weeks was confirmed; the adequacy of a 4-week regimen was questionable. The administration of 0.6 million units every 3 weeks was found to be inadequate to maintain serum levels high enough for the secondary prophylaxis of rheumatic fever.