Rheumatic fever. 16-year study at the Pediatric Teaching Hospital "Pedro Agustín Pérez" of Guantánamo

Abstract

The cases treated by rheumatic fever were studied in the Pediatric Teaching Hospital "Pedro Agustín Pérez" of Guantánamo, from January 1996 to December 2011. It was investigate the incidence of the disease, origin, way of coexistence of children, antecedents Of tonsillitis, treatment compliance, symptoms and signs at admission, complementary outcome, hospital stay and valve sequelae. The results show that there was a higher incidence of the disease in 2006 and less in 2000 and 2002. The majority of the patients came from the rural area, those with overcrowding predominated, and the history of tonsillitis and noncompliance were frequent. Fever and tachycardia predominated among the symptoms and a third of the children had valve sequelae, mainly mitral insufficiency. The positivity of the hemogram and erythrocyte sedimentation occurred.