Rheumatic Fever - Causes and Treatment

Rheumatic Fever is an inflammatory disease that affect central nervous system, cardiovascular system, joints and skin.

It includes major and minor symptoms such as joints pain and inflammation and Carditis and others.

Cause :
it is a result of the immune system reaction against untreated bacterial infection caused by certain strept. bacteria in the form of pharyngitis or other strept. infections.

Prevention :

 -Prevention of  The1st attack of Rheumatic fever is easy, by treating the causing infection with full doses of antibiotics.

-prevention of recurrence by using long acting penicillin ( 1.2 million units by intramuscular injection every month till reaching 25 years or for 5 years after attack  ) or Erythromycin for allergic patients to penicillin ( 250 mg oral tablets every 12 hours daily ).

Treatment of Rheumatic fever :

Mainly supportive treatment by Rest, low salt diet and using drugs as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents as Aspirin for arthritis ( 100 mg per Kg per day in 6 divided doses for 6 weeks ) and corticosteroids as Prednisone ( 1 mg per Kg per day in 4 divided doses for 4 weeks then gradual withdrawal ).