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Research
Ending rheumatic heart disease in Australia: the evidence for a new approachThe RHD Endgame Strategy: the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease in Australia by 2031 (the Endgame Strategy) is the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Australia by 2031. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with one of the highest per capita burdens of RHD in the world.
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Subcutaneous administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin G has favourable pharmacokinetic characteristics for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease compared with intramuscular injectionBenzathine penicillin G has been used as monthly deep intramuscular (IM) injections since the 1950s for secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Injection frequency and pain are major programmatic barriers for adherence, prompting calls for development of better long-acting penicillin preparations to prevent RHD.
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Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability and agreement of echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease using the World Heart Federation evidence-based criteriaThe WHF echocardiographic criteria enable reproducible categorisation of echocardiograms as definite RHD versus no or borderline RHD
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Rheumatic Heart Disease Worldwide: JACC Scientific Expert PanelThe authors present a variety of pressing clinical research questions on optimal RHD prevention and advanced care
News & Events
RHD a notifiable conditionWestern Australian doctors are now required by law to report all cases of rheumatic heart disease.
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Group A Streptococcus, Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease: Epidemiology and Clinical ConsiderationsA directed approach to the differential diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever now includes the concept of low-risk versus medium-to-high risk populations
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Voices behind the statistics: A systematic literature review of the lived experience of rheumatic heart diseaseThis systematic review presents a critical, interpretive analysis of publications that include lived experiences of rheumatic heart disease
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Public health and economic perspectives on acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseaseEfforts to eliminate ARF and RHD in Australia over the past decade have so far been unsuccessful, but this can change
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Severe adverse events following benzathine penicillin G injection for rheumatic heart disease prophylaxis: cardiac compromise more likely than anaphylaxisThese results indicate that anaphylaxis is not a major cause of adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin G
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How many doses make a difference? An analysis of secondary prevention of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseaseincreased adherence to penicillin prophylaxis is associated with reduced acute rheumatic fever recurrence and a likely reduction in mortality