rheumatic fever…

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acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic fever, inflammatory disease that, develop after an infection, streptococcus bacteria, strep throat, scarlet fever, involve the heart, joints, skin, brain, rheumatic fever is common worldwide, many cases of damaged heart valves, far less common, the beginning, the 20th century, have been a few outbreaks, the 1980s, rheumatic fever primarily affects children between ages 6, occurs approximately 20 days after strep throat, scarlet fever, a third of cases, underlying strep infection, not have caused any symptoms, rate of development of rheumatic fever in individuals, untreated strep infection is estimated to be 3%, persons, suffered a case of rheumatic fever have a tendency to develop flare-ups, repeated strep infections, fever, joint pain, migratory arthritis, involving primarily knees, elbows, ankles, wrists, joint swelling, redness, warmth, abdominal pain, skin rash, erythema marginatum, skin eruption on the trunk, upper part of arms, legs, eruptions, ring-shaped, snake-like in appearance, skin nodules, sydenham's chorea, emotional instability, muscular weakness, uncoordinated jerky movements affecting primarily the face, feet, hands, epistaxis, nosebleeds, cardiac, heart, involvement which asymptomatic, shortness of breath, chest pain, given the different manifestations of this disease, no specific test, definitively establish a diagnosis, a careful physical examination of heart sounds, skin, joints, blood samples taken, the evaluation, tests, recurrent strep infection, aso, antidnase b, complete blood counts, sedimentation rate, esr, the cardiac evaluation, an electrocardiogram, standardize the diagnosis of rheumatic fever, several minor, major criteria have been developed, criteria, in conjunction, evidence of recent streptococcal infection, establish a diagnosis of rheumatic fever, major diagnostic criteria, carditis, heart inflammation, polyarthritis, subcutaneous skin nodules, chorea, sydenham's chorea, erythema marginatum, minor criteria include fever, arthralgia, joint pain, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, laboratory findings, two major criteria, one major, two minor criteria, evidence of a previous strep infection, positive culture, rising antibody level, aso, antidnase b, support the diagnosis of rheumatic fever, acute rheumatic fever is geared towards the reduction of inflammation, anti-inflammatory medications aspirin, corticosteroids, individuals, positive cultures, strep throat should also be treated, antibiotics, another important cornerstone in treating rheumatic fever includes the continuous use of low dose antibiotics, penicillin, sulfadiazine, erythromycin, prevent recurrence, recurrence of rheumatic fever is relatively common, in the absence of maintenance of low dose antibiotics, first 3 - 5 years, first episode of rheumatic fever, heart complications long-term, severe, particularly heart valves, involved, damage to heart valves, in particular, mitral stenosis, aortic stenosis, endocarditis, heart failure, arrhythmias, pericarditis, sydenham's chorea, develop symptoms of rheumatic fever, numerous conditions, have similar symptoms, require careful medical evaluation, have symptoms of strep throat, evaluated, strep throat is confirmed, to decrease risk of developing rheumatic fever, most important way, prevent rheumatic fever is by proper, prompt treatment of strep throat, scarlet fever.