• 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 2. Joint Rheumatic Fever: Joint involvement is a characteristic feature of rheumatic fever, resulting in painful, swollen, and inflamed joints. (cims.org)
  • Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. (wikipedia.org)
  • Rheumatic fever (RF) is a systemic illness that may occur following group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) pharyngitis in children. (medscape.com)
  • 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)
  • Minor criteria include fever, joint pain, elevated acute phase reactants (such as C-reactive protein), and prolonged PR interval on electrocardiogram. (cims.org)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Rheumatic fever is caused by an immune response to group A streptococcal bacteria. (cims.org)
  • This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of rheumatic fever, its impact in India, and how it can be effectively managed. (cims.org)
  • 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)
  • Example: Certain families may have a history of rheumatic fever, indicating a genetic influence on the susceptibility to the disease. (cims.org)
  • 2. Fever: High-grade fever, often accompanied by chills and sweating, is a common symptom. (cims.org)