Cardiovascular infections in Colombia, characterization and estimation of their incidence, 2009-2016

Abstract

Background: Although not studied widely, cardiovascular infections (CVI) can cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The burden of them in terms of morbidity in certain countries is not well understood. Studies estimating its population-based incidence lack in Latin America and Colombia. Methods & Materials: Observational, retrospective study in which the incidence of CVI (ICD-10 codes I0.0-I0.2,I30.0-I30.1,I30.8-I30.9,I32.0-I32.1,I32.8,I33.0-I33.9,I38.X,I40.0,I41.0-I41.2) corresponding to rheumatic fever, pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis, in Colombia, 2009-2016, was estimated based on data extracted from the personal health records system (Registro Individual de Prestación de Servicios, RIPS). Using official population estimates of National Statistics (DANE), crude and adjusted incidence rates were estimated (cases/1,000,000pop). Results: During the period, 35,285 cases were reported (decreasing from 5,509 cases [2009] to 3,624 [2016], r2 = 0.5954;p < 0.05), for period-cumulated crude national rate of 75.3 cases/100,000pop. Cases were reported in all the departments of the country plus Bogota DC. Of the total, 14.2% corresponded to age group of 0-9 y-old, followed by 10-19 y-old (13.9%) and 20-29 y-old (12.4%); 54.3% of cases were males and 45.7% females. From the diagnoses, 48.1% corresponded to acute rheumatic fever (36.2 cases/100,000pop), followed by acute pericarditis (unspecified) 16.6%, acute nonspecific idiopathic pericarditis 9.0%, acute endocarditis (unspecified)(6.0%), valve endocarditis (unspecified) 5.6%, acute and subacute infective endocarditis 4.2% and 2.4% to infective myocarditis, among other diagnoses. Conclusion: Regard the epidemiology of CVI, particularly infective endocarditis, certain studies suggest that these have changed dramatically over the past 20 years with increasing health care contact, ageing and device related infections. However, globally speaking, for Colombia, the trend is to decrease. Despite such fall in incidence over time, acute rheumatic fever incidence rates remain relatively high being the first commonest CVI in this study. Most recent studies have been performed at tertiary referral centres rather than population-based centres, then, these as other few published, provide nation-wide information about its epidemiological trend and features.