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Medical Author:

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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In this Article

• What is rheumatic fever?
• What are the Jones criteria?
• What causes rheumatic fever?
• What are symptoms and signs of rheumatic fever?
• How is rheumatic fever diagnosed?
• How is rheumatic fever treated?
• What are the complications of rheumatic fever?
• How is rheumatic fever prevented?
• How common is rheumatic fever?
• Where can one find more information on rheumatic fever?
• Rheumatic Fever (Acute Rheumatic Fever or ARF) At A Glance
• Rheumatic Fever Index

In the United States and other developed nations, rheumatic fever is exceedingly rare today, though there have been sporadic outbreaks. This is due to the availability of antibiotics and preventive services. In other parts of the world, it remains a common disease and is the leading cause of cardiovascular death in individuals under the age of 50.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/808945-overview

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1007946-overview

• Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune disease which may develop after strep throat infection.
• The Jones criteria are used to help physicians make the clinical diagnosis of rheumatic fever.
• Rheumatic fever does not affect all individuals who have had a strep throat infection.
• Rheumatic fever affects the joints, heart, skin, and nervous system.
• Antibiotics are used to treat the strep throat infection and may prevent development of rheumatic fever.
• Rheumatic fever may cause long-term damage to the heart and its valves.