Rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that may develop after an infection with Streptococcus bacteria

Symptoms:

abdominal pain

fever

cardiac problems, which may not have symptoms, or may result in shortness of breath and chest pain

fleeting arthritis

joint swelling; redness or warmth

epistaxis

skin nodules

erythema marginatum

skin eruption on the trunk and upper part of the arms or legs

eruptions that look ring-shaped or snake-like

sydenham chorea

difficulty in swallowing

JONES criteria:

Major criteria:

polyarthritis

carditis

subcutaneous skin nodules

Sydenham chorea

erythema marginatum

minor criteria:

fever

high ESR

sore throat

muscle weakness

Arthralgia

increased Acute phase reactants

C-reactive protein

Prolonged PR interval

Evidence of previous group A streptococcal infection

+ Throat culture or rapid streptococcal antigen test

Rx:

Pencillin should be used lifetime

complication:

Rheumatic heart disease may develop