Rheumatic fever in Maltese children

Abstract

Rheumatic fever is still one of our great pediatric problems and is probably on the increase. A study of 46 children who had acute rheumatism has been presented. They were treated for rheumatic fever wherein this study confirms earlier findings, particularly that this anomaly is associated with poor living conditions. In fact children came mainly from large families, the average number of children in each family being 5.4. In order that the incidence of rheumatic fever and the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in the Maltese Islands be known, the disease should be made notifiable. Facilities for the isolation of the streptococcus should be made available to all physicians. Rheumatic fever and its recurrences can be prevented by adequate chemotherapy. Recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever in known rheumatic patients can be prevented by continuous prophylactic administration of penicillin, sulphonamides or broad spectrum antibiotics.