A national prospective surveillance study of acute rheumatic fever in Australian children.

[acute rheumatic fever]

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF ) is an important cause of heart disease in Indigenous people of northern and central Australia . However , little is known about ARF in children across all Australian population groups . This national prospective study was conducted to determine patterns of disease , and populations and regions at highest risk .The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit surveillance model was used to collect data on children with ARF across Australia . Children up to 15 years of age were included if they had an ARF episode diagnosed between October 1 , 2007 and December 31 , 2010 that met the case definition .ARF was identified in 151 children : 131 Indigenous Australians , 10 non-Indigenous Australians , 8 Pacific Islanders and 1 African (1 unknown ). Common presenting features were joint symptoms , fever and carditis . Sydenham chorea was reported in 19 % of children . Aseptic monoarthritis was a major manifestation in 19 % of high -risk children . Seven non-Indigenous Australian children presented with classic , highly specific features compared with 23 % of high -risk children , suggesting that subtle presentations of ARF are being missed in non-Indigenous children . Recent sore throat was reported in 33 % of cases , including 25 % of remote Indigenous children . There were delays in presentation to care and referral to higher-level care across urban /rural and remote areas .ARF may be more common than previously thought among low -risk children . These data should prompt an awareness of ARF diagnosis and management across all regions , including strategies for primary prevention . There should be renewed emphasis on treatment of sore throat in high -risk groups .

Diseases
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Diseases presenting "joint symptoms" symptom

acute rheumatic fever

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