SubcutaneousCarditisChoreaRisk of developing rheuRashInfectionCharacteristicArthritisNonsuppurativeInflammatory diseaseAdultsAffectsBeta hemolyticAntibioticPenicillinPredisposeAcute phase reactantsJointsCardiacSymptomsLikelihoodOccursClinicalDevelopsPharyngitisSore throatGroup A streptococcalPatientsOverviewChildrenHistoryDiseaseCommon
Subcutaneous2
- Carditis and erythema marginatus may occur in adults, but chorea and subcutaneous nodules virtually never do. (medscape.com)
- The subcutaneous nodules of rheumatic fever also are very rare, except in those individuals who have severe heart valve involvement. (sandhillspeds.com)
Carditis3
- Treatment includes aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids during severe carditis, and antimicrobials to eradicate residual streptococcal infection and prevent reinfection. (msdmanuals.com)
- Acute rheumatic fever is prevalent across the world and carries a high mortality and morbidity predominantly due to its complication of carditis. (longdom.org)
- The major criteria include carditis (inflammation of the heart), polyarthritis (joint inflammation), chorea (involuntary movements), erythema marginatum (skin rash), and subcutaneous nodules. (cims.org)
Chorea1
- Sydenham's chorea, or St. Vitus dance, is much less common than arthritis or rheumatic heart disease, occurring in only 10% to 15% of patients. (sandhillspeds.com)
Risk of developing rheu3
- Treating people who have strep throat with antibiotics, such as penicillin, decreases the risk of developing rheumatic fever. (wikipedia.org)
- Poorly treated or recurrent streptococcal infections increase the risk of developing rheumatic fever. (cims.org)
- 1. Age: Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are at the highest risk of developing rheumatic fever, although it can occur at any age. (cims.org)
Rash4
- Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints, involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic non-itchy rash known as erythema marginatum. (wikipedia.org)
- Erythema marginatum, the characteristic rash of acute rheumatic fever, is shown below. (medscape.com)
- The rash of rheumatic fever, called erythema marginatum, is uncommon, and it is seen in only about 5% to 8% of patients. (sandhillspeds.com)
- 4. Skin Rashes: Some individuals may develop a characteristic rash known as erythema marginatum, which appears as pink, non-itchy, and ring-shaped patches on the skin. (cims.org)
Infection12
- Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) is an auto-immune consequence of infection with the bacterium Group A streptococcus (GAS), characterized by a sub-acute generalized inflammatory response particularly affecting the heart, joints, brain and skin. (longdom.org)
- Rheumatic fever may occur following an infection of the throat by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. (wikipedia.org)
- If the infection is left untreated, rheumatic fever occurs in up to three percent of people. (wikipedia.org)
- Rheumatic fever is a systemic disease affecting the connective tissue around arterioles, and can occur after an untreated strep throat infection, specifically due to group A streptococcus (GAS), Streptococcus pyogenes. (wikipedia.org)
- In a small percent of patients, infection leads to rheumatic fever several weeks after the sore throat has resolved. (medscape.com)
- Rheumatic fever is a side effect of the strep infection, not part of the infection itself. (sandhillspeds.com)
- It is rare for very young children (less than three or four years of age), as well as adults, to develop rheumatic fever, even if they have a strep infection. (sandhillspeds.com)
- The symptoms of a strep infection include a sudden onset of a very sore throat with a high fever. (sandhillspeds.com)
- An abnormal immune response by the body, following a period of approximately 10 days to 2 weeks after the strep infection, is believed to cause the clinical signs of rheumatic fever. (sandhillspeds.com)
- Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can occur after a group A streptococcal infection, such as strep throat. (cims.org)
- Rheumatic fever is classified based on the Jones criteria, which consider major and minor clinical manifestations, along with evidence of a recent streptococcal infection. (cims.org)
- A diagnosis of rheumatic fever requires evidence of recent streptococcal infection plus either two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria. (cims.org)
Characteristic1
- 2. Joint Rheumatic Fever: Joint involvement is a characteristic feature of rheumatic fever, resulting in painful, swollen, and inflamed joints. (cims.org)
Arthritis4
- Rheumatic fever is characterized by the migratory nature of the arthritis, an elevated anti-streptolysin O titer, and a more dramatic and prompt response to aspirin. (medscape.com)
- Pyogenic arthritis can be distinguished by chills and fever, demonstration of the causative organism in joint fluid, and the frequent presence of a primary focus elsewhere (eg, gonococcal arthritis). (medscape.com)
- The minor criteria include arthralgia (counted only when arthritis is not present), fever, elevated acute phase reactants and an electrocardiogram showing a prolonged PR interval. (longdom.org)
- The arthritis of rheumatic fever is not chronic arthritis. (sandhillspeds.com)
Nonsuppurative1
- GABHS organisms also may be associated with nonsuppurative diseases (eg, rheumatic fever, acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis). (medscape.com)
Inflammatory disease1
- Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. (wikipedia.org)
Adults1
- Studies in the 1950s during an epidemic on a military base demonstrated 3% incidence of rheumatic fever in adults with streptococcal pharyngitis not treated with antibiotics. (medscape.com)
Affects1
- Acute rheumatic fever is a disease that affects the body's connective tissue and central nervous system. (sandhillspeds.com)
Beta hemolytic1
- Rheumatic fever (RF) is a systemic illness that may occur following group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis in children. (medscape.com)
Antibiotic1
- Usually, antibiotic treatment prevents rheumatic fever. (sandhillspeds.com)
Penicillin1
- In attempting to prevent RHD, efforts thus far have focussed largely on prevention of recurrent streptococcal infections in the form of primary or secondary prophylaxis with Penicillin V or Erythromycin [ 8 - 11 ], and controlling the inflammatory process with aspirin and steroids [ 12 ]. (longdom.org)
Predispose2
- Undernutrition, overcrowding, and lower socioeconomic status predispose to streptococcal infections and subsequent episodes of rheumatic fever. (msdmanuals.com)
- However, epidemiological associations in certain populations have led to speculation that group A Streptococcus impetigo could predispose to or cause rheumatic fever as well. (medscape.com)
Acute phase reactants1
Joints1
- However the antibodies may also react against the myocardium and joints, producing the symptoms of rheumatic fever. (wikipedia.org)
Cardiac5
- The significance of rheumatic fever is almost solely due to its cardiac sequel. (longdom.org)
- Cardiac involvement leads to Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). (longdom.org)
- Cardiac involvement is reported to occur in 30-70% of patients with their first attack of rheumatic fever and in 73-90% of patients when all attacks are counted. (medscape.com)
- 3. Cardiac Symptoms: Rheumatic fever can cause inflammation of the heart, leading to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and fatigue. (cims.org)
- 1. Cardiac Rheumatic Fever: In this type, the heart is primarily affected, leading to inflammation of the heart valves (valvulitis), which can cause long-term damage and result in heart murmurs, heart failure, or other cardiac complications. (cims.org)
Symptoms2
- The disease is so named because its symptoms are similar to those of some rheumatic disorders. (wikipedia.org)
- The signs and symptoms of rheumatic fever depend on which body systems are affected. (sandhillspeds.com)
Likelihood1
- Patients who have had rheumatic fever have about a 50% likelihood of having a recurrence if they have another episode of group A streptococcal pharyngitis that is untreated. (msdmanuals.com)
Occurs2
- Damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), usually occurs after repeated attacks but can sometimes occur after one. (wikipedia.org)
- Rheumatic fever occurs in about 325,000 children each year and about 33.4 million people currently have rheumatic heart disease. (wikipedia.org)
Clinical4
- Clinical manifestations and time course of acute rheumatic fever are shown in the image below. (medscape.com)
- Clinical manifestations and time course of acute rheumatic fever. (medscape.com)
- Physicians diagnose rheumatic fever based on a clinical examination, since there is not a single laboratory test that can diagnose it. (sandhillspeds.com)
- Clinical criteria, called the Jones Criteria, take into account the most common findings of patients with rheumatic fever. (sandhillspeds.com)
Develops2
- Rheumatic fever develops in children and adolescents following pharyngitis with GABHS (ie, Streptococcus pyogenes ). (medscape.com)
- Although the exact way in which rheumatic fever develops is not understood, it is believed that the patient who develops rheumatic fever (about 3% of patients with untreated strep throat) have an abnormal immune response to some part of the group A streptococcus. (sandhillspeds.com)
Pharyngitis1
- Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis is the etiologic precursor of acute rheumatic fever, but host and environmental factors are important. (msdmanuals.com)
Sore throat1
- After an incubation period of 2-4 days, the invading organisms elicit an acute inflammatory response, with 3-5 days of sore throat, fever, malaise, headache, and elevated leukocyte count. (medscape.com)
Group A streptococcal1
Patients2
- Most patients who develop rheumatic fever are in the age range between 5 and 15 years. (sandhillspeds.com)
- In approximately half of the patients with rheumatic fever, the heart is involved. (sandhillspeds.com)
Overview1
- This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of rheumatic fever, its impact in India, and how it can be effectively managed. (cims.org)
Children2
- Rheumatic fever is a significant health concern in India, particularly among children and adolescents. (cims.org)
- Example: Children like Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist, have been affected by rheumatic fever at a young age. (cims.org)
History1
- Example: Certain families may have a history of rheumatic fever, indicating a genetic influence on the susceptibility to the disease. (cims.org)
Disease2
- Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. (msdmanuals.com)
- In those with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, prolonged periods of antibiotics are sometimes recommended. (wikipedia.org)