PREDISCHARGE INSTRUCTION TO CHILDREN WITH RHEUMATIC FEVER AND THEIR MOTHERS

Abstract

Rheumatic fever is a multisystem disease, that characterized clinically by fever, polyarthritis, carditis, emotional instability, less frequent subcutaneous nodules and characteristic rash (erythema marginatum). It is a disease which comes next to Bilharzia!affection in school children all over Egypt (Shebl,1975 and Shoheib,1995).

Aim of the present study was to study the effect of predischarge instruction given to children suffering from rheumatic fever and their mothers.

. The sample composed of (60) children suffering from rheumatic fever and their accompanying mothers, who admitted to either inpatient or out patient pediatric Medical & Cardiology departments at Tanta University hospitals. The children & their mothers were allocated randomly into either study or control groups. Where each group entail 30 children suffering from rheumatic fever and their mothers. Predesigned interviewing questionnaire was prepared and applied by the researcher for the purpose of data collection and it was used pre and post instruction.

Anxiety & depression scales were used pre & post instruction to assess psychological state of the rheumatic children. Predischarge instruction about rheumatic fever, it's prevention and care was given by the researcher to the study group only. It was prepared to meet the actual educational needs of those children and their mothers. Routine hospital care was given to both groups.