Effectiveness of Systematic Echocardiographic Screening for Rheumatic Heart Disease in Nepalese Schoolchildren: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Echocardiographic screening allows for early detection of subclinical stages of rheumatic heart disease among children in endemic regions.

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of systematic echocardiographic screening in combination with secondary antibiotic prophylaxis on the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease.

Design, setting, and participants

This cluster randomized clinical trial included students 9 to 16 years of age attending public and private schools in urban and rural areas of the Sunsari district in Nepal that had been randomly selected on November 17, 2012. Echocardiographic follow-up was performed between January 7, 2016, and January 3, 2019.

Interventions

In the experimental group, children underwent systematic echocardiographic

SUBMITTER: Karki P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7818193 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature