Effect of secondary penicillin prophylaxis on valvular changes in patients with rheumatic heart disease in Far North Queensland.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of secondary penicillin prophylaxis on echocardiographic diagnosed valvular changes in patients with rheumatic heart disease or history of acute rheumatic fever in the Townsville Health district.

DESIGN: Patients with known were identified from the North Queensland register, serial echocardiogram results and number of secondary penicillin prophylaxis doses received in 2014 were collated. Descriptive statistics were utilised.

SETTING: Townsville Hospital and outreach clinics within the Townsville Health catchment zone.

PARTICIPANTS: All patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease between 2010 and October 2013 who had serial echocardiograms prior to and post commencement of secondary penicillin prophylaxis were included. All patients were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Progression of echocardiographic valvular changes and association with secondary penicillin prophylaxis compliance. Compliance with secondary penicillin prophylaxis among the study population was a secondary outcome measure.

RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were recruited. Only those patients who were compliant with secondary penicillin prophylaxis had any improvement in valvular changes on echocardiogram. Four of six patients without any baseline valvular involvement developed new valvular changes. Seventy percent of patients received >75% of secondary penicillin prophylaxis doses.

CONCLUSIONS: This small study of patients in Townsville suggests that with good secondary penicillin prophylaxis compliance there is regression of some cardiac lesions over time in people with rheumatic heart disease. Furthermore the natural history of acute rheumatic fever in the Indigenous population is progressive requiring strict adherence to secondary penicillin prophylaxis. Prospective studies or use of data from the nationwide RHD register and standardised reporting of cardiac echocardiograms will provide more robust evidence.