homeinfectionscenterTopicGuideRheumaticFeverMedicalAuthor:RobertKacprowicz,MD,FAAEMMedicalEditor:JerryR.Balentine,DO,FACEPReviewedon4/17/2020FactsRheumaticFeverFactsWhatIsRheumaticFeverOverviewCausesRheumaticFeverCausesRisks/ComplicationsRheumaticFeverRiskFactorsRheumaticFeverRisksandComplicationsSymptomsRheumaticFeverSymptomsandSignsDiagnosisRheumaticFeverDiagnosisTreatmentRheumaticFeverTreatmentLong-TermEffectsLong-TermEffectsofRheumaticFeverHowtoPreventRheumaticFeverPreventionGuideRheumaticFeverTopicGuideDoctor'sNotesonRheumaticFeverSymptomsRheumaticFeverFactsEarlystrepthroattreatmenthelpspreventmoreseriousrelatedconditionslikerheumaticfever.Rheumaticfeverisacomplicationofastreptococcalpharyngitisinfection(strepthroat)thatcancausedamagetotheheart,joints,brain,andskin.Themostseriouscomplicationofrheumaticfeverisrheumaticheartdisease(RHD).RHDisthemostcommoncauseofheartproblemsinchildrenworldwideandcanleadtodamagetotheheartvalvesandchronicheartfailure.Rheumaticfeverispreventablebytreatingstrepthroatwithantibiotics,usuallypenicillin.Ifapatientisallergictopenicillin,otherantibioticssuchaserythromycin(Eryc,Ery-Tab,E.E.S,Eryped,PCE)orclindamycin(Cleocin)canbeused.Theuseofantibioticsandimprovedsanitationhasdramaticallyreducedrheumaticfeverindevelopedcountries.RheumaticFeverOverviewRheumaticfeverisacomplicationofstrepthroatcausedbyinfectionswithgroupAstreptococcalbacteria.Afterstrepthroat,someindividualscandevelopasecondillnessonetofiveweekslaterwithfever,jointpains,rash,andsometimesbrainandheartproblems.RheumaticFeverCausesWhileitisnotcompletelyclear,rheumaticfeverseemstobecausedbyaprocesscalled"molecularmimicry."Duringinfectionswithbacteria,theimmunesystemfightstheinfectionbyproducingantibodiestoproteinsonthesurfaceofthebacteria.Duringinfectionwithcertaintypes(orstrains)ofgroupAstreptococcalbacteria,theproteinsonthebacteriaappearsimilartoproteinsinthehumanbody.Becauseofthissimilarity,theimmunesystembeginstoattackhumancellswithsimilarproteins,suchasheartmuscle,joints,ski