Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2155-9880
+44 1300 500008
Hailu Abera Mulatu
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog
Objective: To determine the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among primary school students in Shashemene town of Oromia regional state of Ethiopia. Design: A cross sectional study Setting: The study was carried out among selected primary pupils in three public and six private schools in Shashemene town, in mid-eastern Ethiopia. Subjects: Using a multistage sampling technique, pupils were selected from public and private primary schools in Shashemene town. They were clinically screened for evidence of RHD by auscultating for significant murmurs. The students with significant murmurs then had echocardiographic evaluation to confirm the presence of RHD. Main outcomes: Students with significant murmurs and students with echocardiographically confirmed RHD. Results: Of the 1764 students recruited, 900 (51.02%) were females while 864 (48.98%) were males. The mean age of the students was 8.86�2.14 years. 1065(60.37%) and 699(39.63%) respectively were recruited from public and private schools. Of the 1764 students, six (0.34 %) had significant murmur. Only one of the six had RHD, giving a prevalence of 0.57/1000 students. The student with RHD was a male, from public school and in the low socioeconomic class. Conclusion: The prevalence of RHD in this study is low compared to similar studies conducted previously in the country. The true prevalence may be underestimated since higher prevalence is obtained from echocardiographic based screening compared to clinical screening.