Profile of cardiac diseases in Ethiopian children

A review of cardiac admissions to the Ethio-Swedish Children's Hospital from January 1981 to December 1988 revealed 365 cases. Patients were included in the study if they had clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic (M, 2D-Modes, doppler) proofs of the specific disease entity. One hundred and ten patients were eligible. This accounted for 0.65% of all admissions (N = 16,905). Rheumatic heart disease accounted for 54.5% (N = 60), congenital heart disease for 35.5% (N = 39), and acquired heart disease of nonrheumatic origin for 10% (N = 11) or cardiac admissions. Of patients with rheumatic heart disease, the mitral valve was involved in 41.7% (N = 25). Pure mitral stenosis was seen in 8.3% (N = 5). Ventricular septal defect was seen in 33.3% (N = 13) of patients with congenital heart disease. The mean hospital stay for patients with rheumatic heart disease was 35.4 days, and 24.7 days for patients with congenital heart. As rheumatic heart disease predominates, methods for decreasing its incidence are discussed.