Rheumatic
fever
Rheumatic
fever is a delayed consequence of an untreated upper
respiratory infection with group A streptococci
(streptococcal pharyngitis or strep throat).
Rheumatic
fever can affect many parts of your body -
heart, joints, nervous system and skin. Although
rheumatic fever can occur at any age, it most
frequently occurs in people between the ages of 6
and 15 years. The disease is twice as common in
women as it is in men.
Symptoms of rheumatic
fever generally appear
within 5 weeks after an untreated streptococcal
(strep) throat infection. Most cases of
strep throat
don't lead to rheumatic fever. In fact, even in
untreated cases, only about 3 percent of people with
strep throat develop rheumatic
fever.
Screening and
diagnosis
If you or your child has symptoms of
rheumatic fever, diagnosis will likely involve a physical examination
and questions by your doctor regarding your signs and symptoms. The
physical exam may include your doctor checking your joints for pain and
inflammation, examining your skin for rashes or lumps, and listening to
your heart for abnormal rhythms or murmurs.
Your doctor may recommend an
electrocardiogram (ECG) of your heart to check for abnormal rhythms.
Electrocardiography involves attaching electrode patches to your skin to
measure electrical impulses given off by your heart. The electrical
impulses, which cause your heart muscle to contract, are recorded by an
electrocardiograph machine. They typically are recorded in the form of
waves, which are displayed on graph paper or on a monitor.
No laboratory test can confirm that you
have rheumatic fever. Doctors base a diagnosis of rheumatic fever on the
presence of several major and minor criteria. The most common major
criteria are pain and swelling of joints that migrate from joint to
joint, and inflammation of the heart.
Diagnosing rheumatic fever requires not
only the presence of key symptoms but also evidence of a recent strep
infection. Your doctor may take a blood sample to test for the presence
of antibodies to streptococcal bacteria. However, it's possible that by
the time you see your doctor, your throat culture test for strep will be
negative. In that case, the only suggestion of strep may be you telling
your doctor about a recent sore throat accompanied by fever.
Rheumatic fever
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