Long-Term Prognosis of Rheumatic Fever Patients Receiving Regular Intramuscular Benzathine Penicillin

An injection of 1.2 million U benzathine penicillin G (BPG) every 3 or 4 weeks has proven by far to be the most effective method to prevent recurrences of acute rheumatic fever.1-3 The efficacy of this method of prophylaxis was first demonstrated more than 40 years ago, and since its introduction, it has played a major role in reducing the morbidity and mortality from rheumatic fever.4 Rheumatic fever causes 25% to 40% of all cardiovascular diseases in developing countries.5 Because of the impact of this disease on public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has helped establish programs for prevention of recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever in many developing countries.6 WHO recommends BPG as the prophylactic drug of choice. One of the problems encountered has been the high drop-out rates among patients enrolled in these programs. Among the reasons for discontinuing prophylaxis is the fear of an allergic reaction.7 The initial study using BPG for the prevention of recurrences of rheumatic fever in children and adolescents reported only 5 (1.2%) mild allergic reactions among 410 patients receiving monthly injections.1 Since then, although rheumatic fever prevention in the United States (U.S.) has consisted almost exclusively of using BPG, there been very few documented reports of serious allergic reactions in rheumatic fever patients on long-term prophylaxis. The only fatalities reported in the American literature occurred in four adults with advanced rheumatic heart disease.8,9 The salutary experience with BPG in the U.S. contrasts sharply with the numerous anecdotal reports of fatal allergic reactions to BPG in many developing countries.

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Allergic reaction to long – term Benzathine penicillin injection for secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and recommendations for skin testing

Nepalese Heart Journal ◽

10.3126/njh.v8i1.8331 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 16-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

PR Regmi ◽

AB Upadhyaya

Keyword(s):

Secondary Prevention ◽

Allergic Reaction ◽

Rheumatic Fever ◽

Skin Testing ◽

Control Programme ◽

Allergic Reactions ◽

Benzathine Penicillin ◽

Batch Number ◽

Study Results

Background Rheumatic Fever (RF) causes 25-40% of all cardio vascular disease in developing countries. Long term benzathine penicillin injection is being used for secondary prophylaxis of RF / RHD. Although allergic reaction to penicillin is rare skin testing is performed routinely before each and every penicillin injection delivery in most of the hospitals in Nepal. Objectives Objectives of this study was to evaluate safety of long term benzathine penicillin injection and establish recommendations for penicillin skin testing. Methods Data from the registers of National RF/RHD prevention and control programme from 32 hospitals of Nepal were collected and analyzed in a retrospective study. Results 65 patients (1.4%) among 77300 injections of benzathine penicillin given to 4712 patients, had allergic reactions. 5 had anaphylaxis, an incidence of 0.1% (0.7/10000 injections), 60 had minor allergy, an incidence of 1.3%. Conclusions Life-threatening allergic reactions are very rare in patients on long-term intramuscular benzathine penicillin for secondary prevention of RF. With these rare complications, regular skin test before each and every benzathine penicillin injection delivery has no significant role. Nevertheless Skin testing is recommended before 1st injection and patients having different batch number and or brand name. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njh.v8i1.8331 Nepalese Heart Journal Vol.8(1) 2011 pp.16-18

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