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Improving Wellbeing for Young People Living with Rheumatic Heart Disease: A peer support program through Danila Dilba Health ServiceThis project seeks to conduct a focus group for young people (aged 11-14) and their parents/family members through the Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS) in Darwin with the aim of identifying consumer needs and perspectives on next steps and priorities for peer support in RHD.
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Interventions to eliminate rheumatic heart diseaseFunded by a 5-year NHMRC Investigator grant to implement a strategy to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as a public health problem in Australia.
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Research opportunities for the primary prevention and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop reportPrimary prevention of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) encompasses the timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of the superficial group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections pharyngitis and impetigo. GAS is the only known inciting agent in the pathophysiology of the disease.
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Morbidity of Scabies in Resource-Limited Countries: Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) and Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis (APSGN)Scabies is one of the world’s most prevalent diseases, with approximately 147 million cases at any one time and an estimated annual incidence of 455 million new episodes. Although Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequent rheumatic heart disease (RHD), impetigo caused by GAS has recently been postulated as a link between scabies and the pathogenesis of ARF.
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A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studiesGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.
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Modalities of group A streptococcal prevention and treatment and their economic justificationInfection by group A Streptococcus (Strep A) results in a diverse range of clinical conditions, including pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis, necrotising fasciitis, and rheumatic heart disease. In this article, we outline the recommended strategies for Strep A treatment and prevention and review the literature for economic evaluations of competing treatment and prevention strategies.
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Understanding the implementation of health checks in the prevention and early detection of chronic diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia: a realist review protocolChronic disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Regular structured, comprehensive health assessments are available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as annual health checks funded through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
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Is Streptococcus pyogenes resistant or susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole?Streptococcus pyogenes is commonly believed to be resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT), resulting in reservations about using SXT for skin and...
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The Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (2nd edition)Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) occur at very high rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015Globally, life expectancy from birth increased from 61·7 years in 1980 to 71·8 years in 2015