Key result
Acute rheumatic fever in children under five years presented with arthritis in 81% and carditis in 42%, showing a similar incidence but slightly more aggressive carditis compared to older children.
Why the study?
What is the clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever in children below the age of five years?
Observational (n=53)
What is the clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever in children below the age of five years?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Acute rheumatic fever in children under five years presents with a similar incidence of arthritis and carditis as older children, but with a slightly more aggressive carditis profile.
The clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever below the age of five years was studied prospectively in 53 children seen over a period of seven years. The majority presented with pain in the joints, manifested as arthritis in 81% and arthralgia in 15%. Four per cent presented with congestive heart failure. Carditis developed in 42%, with a high incidence of pericarditis (6%) and congestive heart failure (15%) and a mortality of 2%. The incidence of Erythema marginatum was 2%, while chorea and subcutaneous nodules were not seen. Data from this prospective study, when compared with those of other prospective studies of acute rheumatic fever throughout childhood, clearly show a similar incidence of arthritis and carditis with a slightly more aggressive nature of carditis in children under five years. These findings are in marked contrast to recent reports describing the clinical profile of acute rheumatic fever in this age group.
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Majeed et al. (1984) conducted an observational in Acute rheumatic fever (n=53). Acute rheumatic fever in children under five years vs. Older children with acute rheumatic fever (historical/other studies) was evaluated on Clinical profile (including arthritis, carditis, and congestive heart failure). Acute rheumatic fever in children under five years presented with arthritis in 81% and carditis in 42%, showing a similar incidence but slightly more aggressive carditis compared to older children.
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