What is a rheumatic heart disease?

What is a rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves have been permanently damaged by rheumatic fever. The heart valve damage may start shortly after untreated or under-treated streptococcal infection such as strep throat or scarlet fever.

What is rheumatic heart disease NCBI?

Rheumatic heart disease is a systemic immune condition that occurs as a complication of rheumatic fever. This occurs after a beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection of the throat. Rheumatic heart disease is a critical form of acquired heart disease in children and adults worldwide.

What causes rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease is heart valve damage resulting from rheumatic fever. Bacterial infections called group A streptococcal (GAS) infections can cause rheumatic fever. An infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever, triggers your body’s immune response.

What is the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease?

As at 31 December 2019, there were 5,385 (prevalence rate of 56 per 100,000 population) people living with RHD recorded on registers recorded in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

What are the symptoms of rheumatic heart disease?

Symptoms of rheumatic fever, which can lead to rheumatic heart disease, include: Swelling, redness and pain in the joints. An inflammation of the heart muscle and tissue, causing a rapid heart rate, fatigue, shortness of breath and exercise intolerance. Fever.

How can RHD be prevented?

Ideally, ARF and RHD can be prevented. Antibiotic therapy (such as penicillin) to treat GroupA Streptococcus throat infection can dramatically reduce the risk of ARF and its complication, rheumatic heart disease. If ARF or RHD do occur, long-term antibiotics can reduce progression to more severe disease.

What is the best medicine for rheumatic heart disease?

The antibiotic treatment that is most effective in preventing further infection is benzathine penicillin G, which is given by intramuscular injection every 3-4 weeks over many years.

When is s3 normal and abnormal?

S3 may be normal in people under 40 years of age and some trained athletes but should disappear before middle age. Re-emergence of this sound late in life is abnormal and may indicate serious problems like heart failure.

How is RHD treated?

Treatment. Treatment of RHD usually requires young people to have regular antibiotics which prevent further attacks of ARF and damage to heart valves. Penicillin is the most commonly used antibiotic and is often given as an injection every 3 – 4 weeks.

Is rheumatic heart disease a disease of the heart?

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic cardiac condition with an infectious aetiology, causing high disease burden in low-income settings. Affected individuals are young and associated morbidity is high. However, RHD is relatively neglected due to the populations involved and its lower incidence relative to other heart diseases.

What is the pathophysiology of rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a serious and long-term consequence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF), an autoimmune sequela of a mucosal infection by Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus, Strep A).

What is the prognosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD)?

RHD indicates rheumatic heart disease. Young people who had severe RHD at the time of diagnosis had rapid disease progression and a poor prognosis; 50% of this group had surgery within 2 years, and 10% were dead within 6 years of their diagnosis.

What do we know about disease progression in rheumatic heart disease?

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a disease of international importance, yet little has been published about disease progression in a contemporary cohort. Much of our understanding of the natural history of the disease stems from seminal studies conducted over 50 years ago.