New Zealand guidelines for the diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever: small increase in the incidence of definite cases compared to the American Heart Association Jones criteria.

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare utilisation of the New Zealand guidelines for the diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) compared to the American Heart Association Jones criteria in a cohort of children

Method: Retrospective review of 79 consecutive hospital diagnosed cases of ARF referred for secondary penicillin prophylaxis. The 2006 New Zealand guidelines for ARF were applied to the cohort and the diagnostic classification compared to classification using the American Heart Association 1992 Jones criteria. Cases were defined as definite, probable, possible or not ARF.

New hospital consultant: surviving a difficult period.

The first years of consultant practice are amongst the most stressful in a medical specialist's career. Recognising the likely difficulties is essential if measures are to be put in place to lessen their impact. In this article, recommendations are made on how to balance clinical and non-clinical duties and to obtain the support required for professional development.