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Rheumatic Fever (rheumatic + fever)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	87%

Distribution within Medical Sciences

Pediatrics	28%
Rheumatology	13%

Kinds of Rheumatic Fever

acute rheumatic fever

Selected Abstracts

PATIENT VIEWS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATIC FEVER AND RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE IN THE KIMBERLEY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 6 2003
Christine M. Mincham
ABSTRACT Objective:,To describe, from a patient perspective, factors leading to suboptimal management of individuals with rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among members of the Kimberley population. Method:,Qualitative in-depth semistructured and repeated interviews of seven Kimberley patients, or parents of children, with rheumatic fever and/or rheumatic heart disease, during 1998. Results:,Participants showed variable levels of understanding about RF/RHD, often relating to the need for secondary prophylaxis. Compliance with medication was closely linked with positive patient,staff interactions. From the perspective of health care, living in a remote location was frequently described as a negative influence. Participants desire more accessible and culturally appropriate opportunities for learning about their disease. Conclusions:,Participants focused on issues closely related to effective and ineffective management of RF/RHD. The lessons learned are indicators for health staff attempting to improve the quality of management that people receive. [source]

Surgical repositioning of a traumatically intruded permanent incisor in a patient with rheumatic fever: case report

DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
Rosana Sales Dias
However, it is one of the most severe types of dentoalveolar trauma. By definition, intrusive luxation consists of the axial displacement of the tooth into the alveolar bone, accompanied by comminution or fracture of the alveolar bone. Here we report the treatment management of a traumatically intruded immature permanent central incisor by surgical repositioning undertaken in a 10-year-old child with rheumatic fever 10 days after sustaining a severe dentoalveolar trauma. The intraoral examination showed the complete intrusion of the permanent maxillary right central incisor and the radiographic examination revealed incomplete root formation. Prophylactic antibiotic therapy was prescribed and the intruded tooth was surgically repositioned and endodontically treated thereafter. The postoperative course was uneventful, with both clinically and radiographically sound conditions of the repositioned tooth up to 3 years and 2 months of follow-up. These outcomes suggest that surgical repositioning combined with proper antibiotic prophylaxis and adequate root canal therapy may be an effective treatment option in cases of severe intrusive luxations of permanent teeth with systemic involvement. [source]

High incidence of rheumatic fever and Rheumatic heart disease in the republics of Central Asia

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 2 2009
Nazgul A. OMURZAKOVA
Abstract The epidemiological situation involving rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) not only remains unresolved but is also a cause of serious concern due to the rapid increase in the incidence of RF/RHD in many developing countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the republics of Central Asia experienced an economic decline that directly affected the public health sector of this region. This is the main cause of the high prevalence of many infectious diseases in Central Asia, including streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis, which carries the risk of complications such as RF. The difficulty involved in early diagnosis of RF and the development of RHD among children and adolescents causes early mortality and sudden death, leading to economic damage in these countries due to the loss of the young working population. Among all the developing countries, Kyrgyzstan, which is located in the heart of Central Asia, has the highest prevalence of RF/RHD. The increase in the prevalence of RF in Central Asia can be attributed to factors such as the low standard of living and changes in the virulence of streptococci and their sensitivity to antibiotics. [source]

Can't stop dancing: Could it be St. Vitus' dance?

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 7 2008
Corrie Rogness RN
Abstract Purpose: To inform providers of one of the rare but significant consequences that result from not diagnosing and treating streptococcal pharyngitis: Sydenham's chorea (St. Vitus' dance). Data sources: Current Internet sources including review articles, informational articles, online medical textbooks, and professional organization Web sites. Conclusion: It is vital that each case of streptococcal pharyngitis be treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy. Doing so will help prevent the sequelae associated with streptococcal infections, such as acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and Sydenham's chorea. Implications for practice: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a common illness that has the potential to cause very serious consequences. The consequences may be life altering, such as suffering permanent heart damage. With appropriate diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics, the sequelae of ARF and Sydenham's chorea can be prevented. [source]

Did Gustav Mahler have Sydenham's chorea?,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 3 2006
Francisco Cardoso MD
Abstract Sydenham's chorea (SC), a major manifestation of acute rheumatic fever (RF), is characterized by chorea and other motor and nonmotor features. Among the latter are behavioral symptoms, including obsessive,compulsive disorder. Although SC is typically a self-limited condition, up to 50% of patients may evolve with persistent chorea. There is evidence that Gustav Mahler had a movement disorder, but its nature remains undetermined. There are witnesses describing him as having facial dyskinesia and a gait disorder consistent with chorea. His conducting performance was notorious for obsessive attention to details of the staging and musical production. Mahler was diagnosed with a valvulopathy in 1907 and died of subacute bacterial endocarditis in 1911. It is possible that the composer suffered from RF in childhood with carditis and SC, which may left him with valvulopathy, obsessive,compulsive disorder, and persistent chorea. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source]

Assessment of myocardial involvement using cardiac troponin-I and echocardiography in rheumatic carditis in ,zmir, Turkey

PEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2008
Vedide Tavli
Abstract Background: Acute rheumatic carditis is still a major problem in developing countries. Cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) has been identified as a sensitive and specific marker in the diagnosis of myocarditis in children and adults. Methods: A prospective study was performed using Doppler echocardiography and cTnI in order to detect myocardial involvement in 26 consecutive patients with acute rheumatic valvular disease. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1, rheumatic fever with carditis (n > 16); group 2, rheumatic fever without carditis (n > 10). Results: Clinically age, gender, body temperature, heart rate and white blood count did not differ significantly between the groups and the age-matched control group. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-streptolysin-O were significantly different. Left ventricular fractional shortening was normal in all patients (group 1, 37 ± 10%; group 2, 34 ± 5%; NS). Left ventricular dimensions were larger in group 1, in which all patients except two had moderate to severe mitral and/or aortic valvular regurgitation (5.05 ± 0.75 cm/m2) compared to group 2, in which none had valvular regurgitation (3.27 ± 0.26 cm/m2, P < 0.05). None of the patients in either group presented with or developed pericarditis. Mean cTnI was 0.12 ± 0.034 ng/mL in group 2 and 0.077 ± 0.02 in group 1, the difference of which was not statistically significant. Neither significant cTnI elevations nor echocardiographic systolic function abnormalities were found in the present patients with rheumatic carditis. Conclusions: The present results indicate the absence of myocardial involvement in acute rheumatic carditis without congestive heart failure. [source]

An immunological marker (D8/17) associated with rheumatic fever as a predictor of childhood psychiatric disorders in a community sample

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 5 2003
Gale Inoff-Germain
Background: Previous studies have documented that various behavioral disturbances accompany Sydenham's chorea, a neurologic variant of rheumatic fever. Further, an immunological marker associated with rheumatic fever (monoclonal antibody D8/17) has been reported to be elevated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, most frequently tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We examined this association in a community sample of children previously identified as being D8/17 positive or negative. It was hypothesized that D8/17 positivity would predict increased rates of tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder, even in the absence of Sydenham's chorea. Possible associations with other disorders accompanying Sydenham's chorea , hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression, also were explored. Method: From 1991 to 1995, 2631 children (mean age = 9.6 ± 1.6 years) from a low socioeconomic area of Mexico City were screened for the D8/17 marker. In a 2- to 5-year follow-up of 240 of these children (108 positive and 132 negative), structured psychiatric interviews and rating scales were administered to the child and main caretaker. Assessments were conducted and scored blind to the child's D8/17 status. Results: No association was seen between D8/17 positivity and tics or OCD. Conclusion: This study failed to provide support for the generalized use of D8/17 as a marker of susceptibility to tics and OCD in a community sample. [source]

No increased risk of valvular heart disease in adult poststreptococcal reactive arthritis

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 4 2009
J. M. van Bemmel
Objective Poststreptococcal reactive arthritis (ReA) is a (poly)arthritis presenting after a Streptococcus group A infection. Acute rheumatic fever (ARF), albeit caused by the same pathogen, has different risk characteristics and is considered to be a separate entity. Whereas ARF is known to cause carditis, the risk of carditis in adult poststreptococcal ReA is unknown. Consequently, the prevailing recommendations regarding long-term antibiotic prophylaxis in poststreptococcal ReA are imprecise and derived from the data on ARF. This study was undertaken to investigate the development of valvular heart disease in an unselected cohort of adult patients with poststreptococcal ReA who did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis and were followed up prospectively. Methods All patients presenting with early arthritis to an inception cohort of >2,000 white patients were evaluated. Patients presenting with poststreptococcal ReA (n = 75) were selected. After a median followup of 8.9 years, the occurrence of valvular heart disease was evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography in 60 patients. Controls were matched for age, sex, body surface area, and left ventricular function, with a patient-to-control ratio of 1:2. Results No differences were seen in left ventricular dimensions. Morphologic abnormalities of the mitral or aortic valves were not more prevalent among patients than among controls. Mild mitral regurgitation was present in 23% and 21% of patients and controls, respectively. Mild aortic regurgitation was present in 10% and 11%, and mild tricuspid regurgitation in 43% and 39%, respectively, revealing no significant differences. Conclusion Our findings indicate that there is no increased risk of valvular heart disease in adult poststreptococcal ReA. Based on these data, routine long-term antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended in adult poststreptococcal ReA. [source]

PATIENT VIEWS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATIC FEVER AND RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE IN THE KIMBERLEY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Ficolin 2 (FCN2) functional polymorphisms and the risk of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
I. J. Messias-Reason
Summary Ficolins are pattern-recognition proteins involved in innate immunity, which upon binding to their specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns on the microbial surfaces trigger the immune response either by binding to collectin cellular receptors or by initiating the complement lectin pathway. In humans, three ficolin genes have been identified, which encode ficolin-1 (M-ficolin), ficolin-2 (L-ficolin) and ficolin-3 (H-ficolin or Hakata antigen). Ficolin-2 was shown to bind to lipoteichoic acid, a cell wall constituent in all Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes, which is the aetiological agent of rheumatic fever (RF) and its most severe sequelae, chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD). Here we investigated polymorphisms in the promoter region of the FCN2 gene (at positions ,986/,602 and +4) in 122 patients with RF and CRHD and in 210 healthy subjects from the same geographic region and socioeconomic background. The haplotype ,986/,602/,4 G/G/A, which is related to low levels of L-ficolin, was observed more frequently in the CRHD group when compared to the healthy subjects [99/162, 61·1% versus 211/420, 50·2%, odds ratio (OR) 1·6, confidence interval (CI) 95% 1·1,2·3, P = 0·021]. The haplotype ,986/,602/,4 A/G/A was observed more frequently in the healthy group when compared to the affected (RF plus CRHD) subjects (31/420, 7·4% versus 6/244, 2·5%, OR 3·2, CI 95% 0·13,0·77, P = 0·008). Based on those findings, one can conclude that polymorphisms associated with low levels of L-ficolin level may predispose an individual to recurrent and/or more severe streptococcal infection. [source]

Acute rheumatic fever and Henoch-Schnlein purpura

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2003
WLM Robson
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Acute rheumatic fever associated with Henoch-Schönlein purpura: report of three cases and review of the literature

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 11 2002
EM Eisenstein
Aim: To describe a possible relationship between Henoch-Schönlein purpura and rheumatic fever. Methods: Patients with features of both diseases were identified by reviewing the hospital records. Medline and reference lists from published articles were used to search for previous reports of the two conditions occurring simultaneously. Results: Three newly described cases, and three previous reports of Henoch-Schönlein purpura associated with rheumatic carditis or chorea were identified. Conclusions: The coexistence of these two disorders in some patients supports the view that Group A streptococcus may have a pathogenic role in Henoch-Schönlein purpura. [source]