Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the Hamilton health district: II. Long term follow-up and secondary prophylaxis.
An analysis is made of follow-up and prophylaxis of 289 first attacks of acute rheumatic fever occurring over a ten year period in under 30 year olds in the Hamilton health district, New Zealand. Hospital clinics originally undertook to follow 84.4% of patients but after ten years, regular contact was maintained with 45% of this group while general practitioners maintained contact with 32% of their group. Fifty percent of all cases (and 77% of cases occurring in the past five years) are on regular benzathine penicillin usually administered by the district nursing service. Co-ordination with extramural services and the use of the computer based register as means of improving follow-up and prophylaxis are advocated, with more attention being given to defaulters.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012042:Registries; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
D010406:Penicillins; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine