Studies on Heart Failure in Sagamu

Abstract

Summary:. A prospective study of 137 children with heart failure, has revealed a prevalence of 80.3 percent among infants and children three years old and below; the condition was rather uncommon in the neonatal period, occurring in only 3.6 percent of children in the series. The major manifestations of the disease included refusal of feeds or poor appetite in 74.5 percent, cough in 59.8 percent, difficulty in breathing in 49.6 percent and vomiting in 30.7 percent of the patients; significant tachycardia and tachypnoea and tender hepatomegaly were present in all the patients, while elevated jugular venous pressure (IVP) occurred in 10.9 percent and pitting oedema in 7.3 percent of the patients. In the series, heart failure was commonly secondary to pneumonia in 43.1 percent, severe anaemia in 40.1 percent septicaemia in 21.2 percent and less commonly, to congenital heart disease in only 5.1 percent and bronchiolitis in 5.1 percent of the patients. Mortality rate was 22.6 percent and anaemia, accounting for 38.7 percent of the deaths, was the leading contributory and underlying cause. In the light of the present findings, it is sug gested that in every acutely ill infant or child, aged three years and below, with pneumonia, severe anaemia, septicaemia, congenital heart disease or bronchiolitis, evidence for heart failure should be sought for diligently and if present, prompt and appropriate treatment be undertaken.