Rheumatic fever is a disease that is caused by having strep throat. The symptoms include having pain in the joints, fever and muscle twitches or movements. Many parts of the body are affected by rheumatic fever including the skin, joints, brain and heart. One way to treat rheumatic fever is to get rest and take penicillin.
This medication is usually taken if someone has strep throat so that it will prevent someone from getting rheumatic fever. If a nurse is preparing to discharge a child who has rheumatic fever, the physician may order for the nurse to prescribe medication so that the fever will not occur again. The medication should be an antibiotic in order to prevent the recurrence of rheumatic fever.
Antibiotics-rationale: a child with rheumatic fever is at risk for a recurrence, especially if carditis complicates the condition. he will need long-term antibiotic therapy into adulthood, maybe even for life. a physician may order digoxin to treat heart failure but digoxin doesnt prevent recurrence of rheumatic fever. corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory medications reduce inflammation in rheumatic fever but wont prevent a recurrence.client needs category: physiological integrityclient needs subcategory: reduction of risk potentialcognitive level: comprehensionreference: hatfield, n. broadribbs introductory pediatric nursing, 6th ed. philadelphia: lippincott williams & wilkins, 2003, p. 381.
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