CV - cardiac infections Flashcards
what is rheumatic fever?
inflammation of the skin, joints, nervous system and heart
what can rheumatic fever lead to if left untreated?
it can lead to scarring and deformity of cardiac structures
what ages does rheumatic fever usually affect?
children ages 5 to 15
what pathogen causes rheumatic fever?
beta hemolytic streptococcus
when can rheumatic fever develop?
as a sequence to pharyngeal infection
what is rheumatic fever the result of?
abnormal humoral and cell mediated response to M proteins
what are M proteins?
streptococcal cell membrane antigens
what is the issue with the immune response to M protein?
- there are similar self antigens on the heart, muscles , brain and joints
- leads to an autoimmune response
- leads to exudative inflammatory lesions in the tissues
if rheumatic fever is resolved before treatment, what kind of damage is left?
damage to the heart valves
what do repeated attacks of rheumatic fever cause?
- tissue scarring
- granuloma formation
- thrombosis
what does RHD cause? what can happen to the leaflets? what occurs over time?
- swelling of valve leaflets
- leaflets may adhere to one another
- over time there is scarring and shortening of the involved strcutures
what complications can rheumatic fever cause?
myocarditis, epicarditis, cardiomegaly, left heart failure, conduction system defects and atrial fibrillation
what are the symptoms of rheumatic fever?
fever, lymphadenopathy, arthralgia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, nosebleed, and tachycardia
what is infective endocarditis?
infection of the endocardium–> especially the heart valves
what pathogen usually causes infective endocarditis?
staphylococci, enterococci, streptococci
