Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36291389›Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2022

Echocardiographic Screening for Rheumatic Heart Disease in a Ugandan Orphanage: Feasibility and Outcomes.

Massimo Mapelli, Paola Zagni, Valeria Calbi, Laura Fusini, Aliku Twalib, Roberto Ferrara, Irene Mattavelli, Laura Alberghina, Elisabetta Salvioni, Cyprian Opira and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.

Massimo MapelliCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9985-7407
Paola ZagniTerapia Intensiva Neonatale, Ospedale Fatebenefratelli P.O. Macedonio Melloni, Via Macedonio Melloni 52, 20129 Milan, Italy.
Valeria CalbiSan Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-TIGET), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Laura FusiniCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0309-6231
Aliku TwalibDivision of Paediatric Cardiology Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital and Complex, Kampala P.O. Box 37392, Uganda.
Roberto FerraraMolecular Immunology Unit, Medical Oncology Department-Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Irene MattavelliCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7781-1691
Laura AlberghinaDepartment of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, 20132 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0246-4805
Elisabetta SalvioniCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.
Cyprian OpiraHospital Lacor, Gulu P.O. Box 180, Uganda.
Jackson KansiimeHospital Lacor, Gulu P.O. Box 180, Uganda.
Gloria TamboriniCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.
Mauro PepiCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.
Piergiuseppe AgostoniCentro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCs, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.
Centro Cardiologico Monzino · ITSt. Mary's Hospital Lacor · UGUniversity of Milan · ITAzienda Ospedaliera Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico · ITFondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori · ITMulago Hospital · UGVita-Salute San Raffaele University · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major cause of cardiovascular disease in developing nations, leading to more than 230,000 deaths annually. Most patients seek medical care only when long-term structural and hemodynamic complications have already occurred. Echocardiographic screenings ensure the early detection of asymptomatic subjects who could benefit from prophylaxis, monitoring and intervention, when appropriate. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of a screening program and the prevalence of RHD in a Ugandan orphanage.

methodsWe performed an RHD-focused echocardiogram on all the children (5-14 years old) living in a north Ugandan orphanage. Exams were performed with a portable machine (GE Vivid-I). All the time intervals were recorded (minutes).

resultsA total of 163 asymptomatic children were screened over 8 days (medium age 9.1; 46% male; 17% affected by severe motor impairment). The feasibility rate was 99.4%. An average of 20.4 exams were performed per day, with an average of 15.5 images collected per subject. Pathological mitral regurgitation (MR) was found in 5.5% of subjects, while at least two morphological features of RHD were found in 4.3%, leading to 1 "definite RHD" (0.6%) case and 13 "borderline RHD" cases (8.1%). Six congenital heart defects were also noted (3.7%): four atrial septal defects, one coronary artery fistula and one Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

conclusionsWe demonstrated the feasibility of an echocardiographic screening for RHD in an orphanage in Uganda. A few factors, such as good clinical and hygienic care, the availability of antibiotics and closeness to a big hospital, may account for the low prevalence of the disease in our population.

Indexed as

developing countriesechocardiographic screeningmitral valverheumatic feverrheumatic heart disease

Identifiers

PMID36291389
PMCPMC9600298
OpenAlexW3161271083

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.