Demographic Profile of a Group of Confirmed Adult Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients as Seen in the Jos University Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Most studies on Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is amongst children and young adult. Adults cardiologist are faced with the chronic complications of these group of individuals. A group of confirmed adult with RHD were statistically described. Methodology and Subjects: A retrospective review of echocardiographic confirm adult cases were reviewed. Descriptive demographic parameters of age, sex, indication for echo- test and systolic functional state were scrutinized. Results: From record of 1619 echocardiography test, 28 (1.7%) were confirmed to have definite RHD. Of the group with mean age of 33 years only 14% were male. 39% were initially suspected (indications of test) to have RHD. 42% were seen to have ejection fraction (EF) of less than 45%. EF was not related with age of individuals. Conclusions: The group distribution did not show normal distribution, Frequency of confirmed diagnosis of RHD was low with significantly low positive predictive value of initial clinical impressions in the subjects.