Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37263687›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Burden of disease and barriers to comprehensive care for rheumatic heart disease in South Africa: an updated systematic review protocol.

Serini Murugasen, Leyla H Abdullahi, Hlengiwe Moloi, Rosemary Wyber, Jessica Abrams, David A Watkins, Mark E Engel, Liesl Joanna Zühlke

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. 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
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 41% 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, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Primary health care approach to rheumatic heart disease management.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Serini MurugasenDivision of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Rondebosch, South Africa serini.murugasen@uct.ac.za.ORCID 0000-0003-4075-5072
Leyla H AbdullahiAfrican Institute for Development Policy, Nairobi, Kenya.
Hlengiwe MoloiSouth African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa.
Rosemary WyberThe George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3904-9269
Jessica AbramsDivision of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Rondebosch, South Africa.
David A WatkinsDepartment of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6341-9595
Mark E EngelDepartment of Medicine, Cape Heart Institute, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Observatory, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1334-8829
Liesl Joanna ZühlkeDivision of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Rondebosch, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-3961-2760
University of Cape Town · ZASouth African Medical Research Council · ZAAfrican Institute for Development Policy · KEThe Kids Research Institute Australia · AUUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/S005242/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is responsible for a significant burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and remains the most common cause of acquired heart disease among children and young adults in low-income and middle-income countries. Additionally, the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced the emergency restructuring of many health systems, which has had a broad impact on health in general, including cardiovascular disease. Despite significant cost to the health system and estimates from 2015 indicating both high incidence and prevalence of RHD in South Africa, no cohesive national strategy exists. An updated review of national burden of disease estimates, as well as literature on barriers to care for patients with RHD, will provide crucial information to assist in the development of a national RHD programme. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using predefined search terms that capture relevant disease processes from Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection through to the sequelae of RHD, a search of PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Sabinet African Journals, SA Heart and Current and Completed Research databases will be performed. All eligible studies on RHD, acute rheumatic fever and GAS infection published from April 2014 to December 2022 will be included. Vital registration data for the same period from Statistics South Africa will also be collected. A standardised data extraction form will be used to capture results for both quantitative and qualitative analyses. All studies included in burden of disease estimates will undergo quality assessment using standardised tools. Updated estimates on mortality and morbidity as well as a synthesis of work on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of RHD will be reported. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics clearance is required for this study. Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and submitted to national stakeholders in RHD. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023392782.

Indexed as

COVID-19Rheumatic Heart DiseaseStreptococcal InfectionsChildCost of IllnessDisease ProgressionHumansPandemicsReview Literature as TopicSouth AfricaSystematic Reviews as TopicYoung AdultCardiac EpidemiologyOrganisation of health servicesSystematic Review

Identifiers

PMID37263687
PMCPMC10254900
OpenAlexW4379057199

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.