الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves are damaged by rheumatic fever. It begins with a strep throat from streptococcal infection. This fever is an inflammatory disease. It can affect many of one body’s connective tissues especially of the heart, joints, brain or skin. Etiology of rheumatic fever depends on a triad of the causative organism, the host with genetic susceptibility and the conducting environment. Rheumatic fever has its highest incidence among children between the ages of 5 and 15 years old. At best, rheumatic fever imposes long bed rest and restriction of activity for weeks or months; at worst, it leads to crippling heart damage. Either, during the crucial growing-up years can be catastrophic for many children, unpleasant and frustrating for most. Rheumatic fever is currently diagnosed by using the Jones’ criteria which have been repeatedly modified to enhance the diagnostic accuracy. |