Rheumatic Fever in Children and Adolescents

A Long-term Epidemiologic Study of Subsequent Prophylaxis, Streptococcal Infections, and Clinical Sequelae

V. Relation of the Rheumatic Fever Recurrence Rate per Streptococcal Infection to Pre-existing Clinical Features of the Patients

  1. ANGELO TARANTA, M.D.;
  2. EDITH KLEINBERG, B.S.;
  3. ALVAN R. FEINSTEIN, M.D.;
  4. HARRISON F. WOOD, M.D.;
  5. ESTHER TURSKY, R.N.; and
  6. RITA SIMPSON, B.A.
  1. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Angelo Taranta, M.D., Department of Medicine and Irvington House Institute, New York University School of Medicine,
    New York
    .

Excerpt

The rheumatic fever attack rate per streptococcal infection is quite constant and low, approximating 3 per cent in a number of epidemiologic reports (2). The only well-established exception occurs in patients who have already had rheumatic fever in whom the attack rate or, more specifically, the recurrence rate per infection is considerably higher. It was 16.5 per cent, for instance, in the population studied at the Irvington House Prophylaxis Clinic (3). In this population a positive relationship was found between the magnitude of the streptococcal antibody response and the rheumatic fever recurrence rate per infection (4, 5). This rate may also

Article and Author Information

  • From Irvington House, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, and the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics and The Rheumatic Diseases Study Group, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.

  • Part of this work was supported by the National Heart Institute grant H-1595 (C-1-6), American Heart Association, New York Heart Association, Westchester Heart Association, Wyeth Laboratories, Sullivan County Heart Chapter, and the Genesee County Heart Chapter.

  • Part of the work done by Dr. Taranta was during his tenure of an Advanced Research Fellowship of the American Heart Association.

  • Dr. Taranta is currently with the Department of Medicine and Irvington House Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York. Drs. Wood and Feinstein are with the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Internal Medicine, respectively, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

  • The data on which this paper is based were collected in the Irvington House Prophylaxis Clinic which was conceived, organized, and directed in its first year of operation by Dr. Gene H. Stollerman.

    • Received May 3, 1963.
    • Accepted July 10, 1963.
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  1. Ann Intern Med February 1, 1964 vol. 60 no. 2 Part 2 58-67
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