Can we be optimistic?
An 8-year-old Aboriginal girl presents with shortness of breath and severe mitral regurgitation, and requires urgent surgery; a young Torres Strait Islander mother has a disabling stroke related to mitral stenosis; and a middle-aged Aboriginal community leader dies from infective endocarditis associated with a mechanical valve. These are the realities of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Australia.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1. RHD Australia. Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Darwin: RHD Australia, 2012. http://rhdaustralia.org.au/resources/arf-rhd-guideline (accessed Jun 2012).
- 2. Lennon D, Stewart J, Farrell E, et al. School-based prevention of acute rheumatic fever: a group randomized trial in New Zealand. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2009; 28: 787-794.
- 3. Steer AC, Batzloff MR, Mulholland K, Carapetis JR. Group A streptococcal vaccines: facts versus fantasy. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2009; 22: 544-552.
- 4. Brown A, Purton L, Schaeffer G, et al. Central Australian rheumatic heart disease control program: a report to the Commonwealth. NT Dis Control Bull 2003; 10: 1-8.
- 5. Rémond M, Severin K, Hodder Y, et al. Variability in disease burden and management of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in two regions of tropical Australia. Intern Med J 2012. In press.
- 6. Harrington Z, Thomas DP, Currie BJ, Bulkanhawuy J. Challenging perceptions of non-compliance with rheumatic fever prophylaxis in a remote Aboriginal community. Med J Aust 2006; 184: 514-517. <MJA full text>
- 7. Rémond MG, Wheaton GR, Walsh WF, et al. Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease — priorities in prevention, diagnosis and management. A report of the CSANZ Indigenous Cardiovascular Health Conference, Alice Springs 2011. Heart Lung Circ 2012. In press.
No relevant disclosures.