Poststreptococcal reactive arthritis in children: a retrospective study.

Abstract

The duration of treatment and appropriate guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for children with poststreptococcal reactive arthritis (PSRA) have not been determined. The authors performed a retrospective chart review of 40 children with PSRA and examined their clinical features at initial evaluation and at 6, 12, and 24 months. At baseline, 18% (n = 7) had a finding noted on the echocardiogram. Although most patients developed cardiac findings early on in the course of their disease, 2 patients with a normal baseline echocardiogram may have developed findings after 12 months of follow-up. The mean duration of prophylaxis was 22 months. During the follow-up period, there was improvement in Physician's Global Assessment, number of patients with arthralgia, tender and swollen joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-streptolysin O, and anti-DNAse B antibody titers. The authors conclude that marked improvement in clinical features and laboratory values was seen over time. Patients may benefit with long-term cardiac follow-up.

• Authors: Lakshmi Nandini Moorthy, Sunanda Gaur, Margaret G Peterson, Yanetsi Flores Landa, Mandvi Tandon, Thomas J Lehman
• Journal: Clinical pediatrics (Clin Pediatr (Phila)) Vol. 48 Issue 2 Pg. 174-82 (Mar 2009) ISSN: 0009-9228 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19129424 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Arthritis, Reactive (drug therapy, immunology, microbiology)
• Child
• Cohort Studies
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiography
• Ethnicity
• Female
• Heart Diseases (diagnosis)
• Humans
• Male
• Retrospective Studies
• Streptococcal Infections (drug therapy)