no
no
no

Rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever is an infection caused by group A beta haemolytic streptococci (strep pyogenes

Diagnosis is by the revised Jones criteria, which is: 
  • evidence of preceding streptococcal infection
  • throat culture positive for bacteria
  • positive rapid antigen detection test result
  • elevated antistreptolysin O titre 
  • scarlet fever 
                            OR
  • chorea 
                           AND 
  • 2 major criteria OR 1 major and 2 minor criteria 

Major criteria: 
  • carditis 
  • polyarthritis 
  • chorea 
  • erythema marginatum 
  • subcutaneous nodules 

Minor criteria: 
  • long PR 
  • fever
  • arthralgia 
  • Raised ESR/CRP 


Treatment: 
  • bed rest 
  • aspirin 
  • penicillin (or erythromycin if penicillin allergic) 
  • possibly surgery if severe MR 
  • prophylactic penicillin IM once monthly 
    • for 5 years if acute rheumatic fever 
    • OR until age 18 without proven carditis 
    • OR 10yrs or until aged 25 if mild MR 
    • OR lifelong if severe valve disease 

Prognosis:
  • 60% of patients develop rheumatic heart disease, most commonly of the mitral valve 
  • 10% recurrence of acute rheumatic fever within 5 years if no prophylaxis. 

References:
author profile image
Abdelghafour

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

no
Secret collector of interesting anonymised ECGs. Fan of the Bath Photomarathon. Lover of cream teas. [Sarah Hudson] (Your Picture)