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The long-term prognosis of an RF patient depends primarily on whether he or she develops carditis. This is the only manifestation of RF which can have permanent effects.
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Those with more severe carditis have a risk of heart failure, as well as a risk of future heart problems that may lead to the need for valve replacement surgery. Patients who have had rheumatic fever are at an increased risk of getting it again.An...
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Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a life-threatening condition in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body.Heart failure is almost always a chronic, long-term condition, although it can sometime...
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Heart failure is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body''s tissues. With too little blood being delivered, the organs and other tissues do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly.Ac...
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"Heart failure" is a broad term—often used inter-changeably with"congestive heart failure"(CHF)—to describe the heart''s inability to consistently pump enough blood to the body''s organs and tissues. Heart failure occurs either from a st...
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Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves(endocardium).
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The endocardium is the inner lining of the heart muscle, which also covers the heart valves. When the endocardium becomes damaged, bacteria from the blood stream can become lodged on the heart valves or heart lining.
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Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart muscle and its four valves(tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic). Abnormal or damaged endocardium is more likely to become infected when bacteria enter the bloodstr...
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Pericarditis is a condition in which the sac-like covering around the heart(pericardium) becomes inflamed.Pericarditis is usually a complication of viral infections, most commonly echovirus or coxsackie virus. Less frequently, it is caused by infl...
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Pericarditis is an inflammation of the two layers of the thin, sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart. This membrane is called the pericardium, so the term pericarditis means inflammation of the pericardium.Pericarditis is fairly common.
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Sydenham chorea is a movement disorder that occurs with rheumatic fever.Sydenham chorea is one of the major signs of acute rheumatic fever. It is discussed here separately because it may be the only sign of rheumatic fever in some patients.Sydenha...
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Also called St. Vitus'' dance, Sydenham''s chorea is a disorder effecting children and characterized by jerky, uncontrollable movements, either of the face or of the arms and legs.Sydenham''s chorea is a disorder that occurs in children and is associ...
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Sydenham''s chorea is an acute but self-limited movement disorder that occurs most commonly in children between the ages of five and 15, and occasionally in pregnant women. It is closely associated with rheumatic fever following a throat infection.
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In aortic stenosis, the aortic valve does not open fully. This restricts blood flow.Aortic valve stenosis; Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction; Rheumatic aortic stenosis; Calcium aortic stenosis.As the aortic valve becomes more narrow, the ...
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When aortic valve stenosis occurs, the aortic valve, located between the aorta and left ventricle of the heart, is narrower than normal size.A normal aortic valve, when open, allows the free flow of blood from the left ventricle to the aorta. When...
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Mitral stenosis is a heart valve disorder that involves the mitral valve. This valve separates the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart.
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The term stenosis means an abnormal narrowing of an opening. Mitral valve stenosis refers to a condition in the heart in which one of the valve openings has become narrow and restricts the flow of blood from the upper left chamber(left atrium) to ...
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An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate(pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast(tachycardia), too slow(bradycardia), or irregularly.Dysrhythmias; Abnormal heart rhythms; Bradycardia; Tachycardia.Normally, the four chambers of the he...
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An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart''s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.Arrhythmias are deviations from the normal cadence of the heartbeat,...
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