rheumatic heart disease
Noun: A specific type of heart condition that develops as a long-term consequence of one or more episodes of rheumatic fever. The disease is characterized by damage to the heart, particularly scarring and deformity of the heart valves, which impairs the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently.
This is a medical term used to describe a chronic cardiac condition. - Rheumatic heart disease is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity in regions where rheumatic fever is common. - The patient was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease following a history of untreated streptococcal infections.
- Noun:
- Rheumatic heart disease often leads to valve disorders like mitral stenosis.
- Early antibiotic treatment for strep throat can prevent rheumatic heart disease.
- The cardiologist specializes in managing cases of rheumatic heart disease.
- The term is often discussed in the context of public health initiatives aimed at primary prevention (preventing initial strep infections) and secondary prevention (using long-term antibiotics to prevent recurrent rheumatic fever in affected individuals).
- In medical literature, it is frequently abbreviated as RHD.
- Rheumatic fever (n): The acute inflammatory illness that precedes and causes rheumatic heart disease.
- Valvular heart disease (n): A broader category of heart disorders involving the valves, which includes rheumatic heart disease as a common cause.
- Chronic rheumatic heart disease (This is a more precise clinical synonym often used in medical coding and detailed descriptions.)
This term refers exclusively to the chronic heart damage resulting from rheumatic fever. It is not the same as the acute phase of rheumatic fever itself. The core meaning revolves around permanent structural damage to the heart, especially the valves, leading to compromised function.
- heart disease caused by recurrent episodes of rheumatic fever; characterized by changes in the myocardium or scarring of the heart valves that reduce the power of the heart to pump blood