Show Your P r Says following oW 1 it ii I O on ent I of a a b bJ j of the 0 the Ihl Utah Stale Slate Medical I Association I and in Cooperation with wilh jour 0 our t total loal newspaper tr These ait at scheduled la ta appear ever other othet Wet throughout She ta ear 1 in an nit to k better acquaint t you with problems of health and designed td It ta improve l il lit well being of top I oj of Acute Rheumatic Fever Acute rheumatic fever is Primal l a disease of childhood and ad young adult hood It is usually not hot seen sten III in ver er er young childhood and ha has lately been I he lie subject of 01 much research and study It is now known that there ther Is a strong relationship between certain types type of streptococcal germ perm infections and malic maUc fever Three percent of all streptococcal strep- strep infections are followed by the complication om of rheumatic fever Generally rheumatic fever follows a streptococcal sore throat by about two to or lr r three weeks The easiest recognized manifestations are tender swollen large joints and evidence of heart trouble found by the doctors doctor's examination Another Another An An- Another other evidence of rheumatic fever is St. St Vitus Vitus' Dance or chorea Cases that are not cut clear are difficult to diagnose and the diagnosis is achieved by putting many evidences of 01 disease together in ina ina a pattern This can only be done by a phy physician ician Whereas several years ago rheumatic fever was often never diagnosed and many crippled hearts resulted nowa nowa- days lays there is a problem of oC over nois in many cases and children being needlessly put to bed for several weeks with their activity being curtailed un un- justly The public commonly makes a diagnosis or assumes rheumatic fever to be present because of questionable low-grade low fevers evers and vague leg aches The error is compounded when a blood sedimentation test is found lound to be ele Ill These symptoms alone are not sufficient to diagnose rheumatic ever being present Admittedly there are a certain number of cases casell that develop heart disease without being recognized but usually this means lack of oC medical care during and following a streptococcal cal infection There is no specific t test st available at SI time the present pi lIf time that is di th diagnostic diagnostic agnostic al of rheumatic fever The Th number of cases calleA of lever each year seems to l he be c decreasing This is felt to be due to the ne neer newer er knots o knowledge ledge and prevention ion ta n measure uret that v.-e v. e now have hae available With recovery re reo re- re covery from t the he initial attack of rheumatic rheumatic rheu rheu- matic fever the pAtient has hM an 80 Percent percent per Per- cent chance I hat that he be will recover wit with n. n no im detectable heart damage or nr such t r slight degree of damage that hi his hi physical ca eel cal activity will not be bl restricted in in ah way saV It is the patient with repented repeated at al attacks tacks tAlkA of I flo tr lio ho is left wit will willI I Ithe Ithe I the ht severely da damaged maged heart harl TI of rheumatic fever Is stil sUI heing to research and anal anal- sis ysis fled rest itt is an unchallenged ed thera ther ther- a ap apy I However lr 10 ever t then here thenis is now evidence that in ii the past bed hed rest has hilS been user for Tor longer than Ihan are necessary H drugs and aspirin are al I used under proper medical supervision The latest is U the use of tin t I newer Iter er hormones hormon's such as Cortisone am anI the one known n II as The lime bes besl 1 or the best Iest corn combination hi nation o o 0 treatments is still being bing studied throughout the world More important than the treatment of rheumatic fever which is only partially par successful in some cases is tin the prevention of the disease which Is very ver successful The most Important measure measure meas mea ure is the prevention of streptococcal disease This is achieved through the I daily administration of If oral penicillin or in small doses type of slowly absorbed penicillin i im it given in monthly injections Any pa pa- tient with definite rheumatic fever I should continue this preventative therapy ther apy IY for a number of years Contrary to III some beliefs the type of streptococcal germ that causes rheumatic fever rarely becomes Becomes penicillin resistant Prevention of subsequent attacks o ol 01 rheumatic fever is the most important thing that n be done to prevent heart disease Prevention of the initial attack of rheumatic fever is accompli accomplished hed by at least ten days das of QI If penicillin therapy for or any streptococcal infection Prevention Prevention Proven Proven- tion ion of subsequent attacks of rheumatic fever ever is accomplished through the daily i administration of penicillin or rifle line under the guidance e of tf z a physician |