Pattern of cardiac disease at pediatric cardiac clinic ofTikur 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 identify environmental risk factors, the magnitude of the problem so as to develop
effective medical service and control measure