Open AccessRHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE (RHD)
Author(s) -
Ahsan Beg Beg,
Muhammad Younas,
Touseef Asma
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the professional medical journal/the professional medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2071-7733
pISSN - 1024-8919
DOI - 10.29309/tpmj/2016.23.03.1482
Subject(s) - overcrowding , medicine , functional illiteracy , rural area , heart disease , environmental health , pediatrics , pathology , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Objectives: To investigate the role of socio-economic factors for Acute RheumaticFever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in Pakistan. Methodology: Study Design:Descriptive cross-sectional. Setting: OPD of Pediatric Cardiology Department, CPE Institute ofCardiology, Multan. Period: July 2014 to December 2014. Convenience Sampling was done.Sample size of 130 cases with ages between 5 to 12 years were selected for the study. Results:Overcrowding was noticed in 61% and 85% in urban and rural areas, respectively. In rural areas,most parents were illiterate; similar status was seen in urban areas (64.4%; 67.1% respectively).60% and 55 % patients have habit of hand washing in rural and urban patients respectively.Toilet facility is available to 60% and 55.6% in rural and urban patients respectively. Economicstatus of the family is even worse. Average income per family was only Rs.3800 per month.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and acute rheumaticfever (ARF) in Pakistan. Overcrowding, poor hygienic conditions, low socio-economic status,illiteracy are major risk factors for ARF and RHD in Pakistan. In order to address this alarmingsituation, platforms like Pakistan Pediatric Cardiac Society and Pakistan Pediatric Associationneed to be mobilized.