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Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Dr Julie Bennett, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can develop after a Strep A infection. Rheumatic fever is a serious heart condition that can cause heart failure (this is known as rheumatic heart disease). To prevent heart failure and death patients with rheumatic fever, need to have very painful deep penicillin injections into their backsides every month for a minimum of 10 years. The penicillin is to prevent the patient having any more Strep A infections, which can lead to greater heart damage.
This study trialled a new way of delivering penicillin using a small needle inserted into patients’ stomachs. Patients said this method was less painful than their usual injection. This method also enabled a larger dose of penicillin to be administered, which meant only needing to have an injection every three months.
People in the study preferred this method over their usual injection, with 95% saying they wished to remain on this method, rather than return to their monthly injection.
This method shows enormous promise as an alternative mode of penicillin delivery and may increase adherence through improved patient experience. Greater adherence may prevent disease progression and death here in New Zealand and globally.
