Pattern of cardiac disease at pediatric cardiac clinic of Tikur Anbessa Hospital

Abstract

A retrospective descriptive study conducted on 324 children with cardiac disease presenting for the first time at the pediatrics cardiac clinic ofTikur Anbessa Hospital in two years, January 03-December 04. It was found out 177(54.6%), 127(39.2%) and 20(6.2%) of patients had Congenital Heart Disease, Rheumatic Heart Disease and non Rheumatic acquired heart disease respectively, with male to female ratio of I: 1.36. The study revealed Ventricular Septal defect(VSD) in 48(27.1%), Patent Ductus arteriosus(PDA) in 27(15.2%), and Atrial Septa Defect(ASD) in 23 ( 13.0%) mixed lesion in 24(13.6%) as the commonest congenital heart disease seen in the study period ..All patients with Rheumatic Heart disease had mitral valve involvement. Pure mitral lesion was seen in 44(34.6%) of Rheumatic Heart disease of patients. Myocarditis in 7(35.0%), dilated Cardiomyopathy in 5(25.0%) and arrhythmia in 4(20.0%) were the main types of non rheumatic
acquired heart disease followed in the clinic. Thus, both congenital and rheumatic heart diseases are still significant causes of morbidity in Ethiopian children. I-Ience, community based surveys arc needed to identi fy environmental risk factors, the magnitude of the problem so as to develop effective medical service and control measures.