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Laqueisha's story: living with RHDLaqueisha was just five years old when she was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease and sent on a 5,000km return trip to Perth for major heart surgery.
Research
Longitudinal surveillance of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australian school children informs acute rheumatic fever preventionThe prevalence of impetigo and pharyngitis - which are both superficial group A streptococcus (GAS) infections that precede acute rheumatic fever - is poorly defined. Guidelines recommend the early diagnosis of both infections to prevent ARF; however, screening to enable the concurrent detection of these infections in high-risk populations has rarely been performed.
Research
Missed Opportunities for Diagnosing Acute Rheumatic FeverWe have read with interest the new publication by Rouhiainen and colleagues on missed opportunities for preventing or diagnosing acute rheumatic fever (ARF).
Research
Severe adverse reactions to benzathine penicillin G in rheumatic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysisFear of severe adverse reaction (SAR) and reluctance of health care providers to administer intramuscular injections are major contributing factors to poor adherence of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) in the management of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). However, data on the risk of SARs following BPG injections for RHD are relatively limited and inconclusive. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the incidence of SARs associated with BPG injections used for secondary prophylaxis of RHD.
Research
Population pharmacokinetics of penicillin G: insights into increased clearance at low concentrations to guide development of improved long-acting formulations for syphilisAlthough benzylpenicillin (penicillin G) is listed by the World Health Organization as an Essential Medicine, dose optimization is a persistent challenge, especially for long-acting intramuscular formulations. Maintaining sustained antibiotic exposure at target concentrations is crucial for secondary chemoprophylaxis of rheumatic heart disease and treatment of syphilis.
News & Events
The Kids researchers granted $5 million to prevent RHD across PacificA team led by Dr Joseph Kado from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, and The University of Western Australia (UWA) has been awarded $5 million by the Federal Government in a major push to prevent rheumatic heart disease across the Pacific.
News & Events
Call for urgent funding boost for RHD in AustraliaThere are calls for a significant and urgent injection of $40 million in funding to tackle Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) following Monday night’s Four Corners episode.
News & Events
Bold bid to end rheumatic heart diseaseSome of the nation’s leading medical researchers will converge on Darwin this week to step out a plan to wipe out rheumatic heart disease.
News & Events
Expert researchers converge on Broome to tackle health challenges in Northern AustraliaOver 100 researchers and health professionals from around Australia have united in Broome this week to address the major health battles facing people living in the tropical north of the country.
News & Events
Call for Group A streptococcal infections to become notifiable diseasesResearchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia say Group A Streptococcus should become a nationally notifiable disease in Australia.