Rheumatic heart disease
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
PediatricsCardiacInfectious Diseasehigh priorityneeds review
Rheumatic heart disease
Also testable as: RHD, Rheumatic fever valve disease
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Autoimmune inflammatory response after untreated or undertreated group A strep infection can damage heart valves.
- Inflammation can scar valves, especially mitral and aortic valves, causing stenosis or regurgitation.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics by class | Used for strep treatment or secondary prophylaxis per provider plan. |
Nursing actions
- Assess history of sore throat, fever, joint pain, murmur, chest pain, shortness of breath, and chorea.
- Promote completion of antibiotics for strep throat and follow-up prophylaxis when prescribed.
- Monitor for heart failure or valve disease symptoms.
Complications
- Valve stenosis/regurgitation
- Heart failure
- Atrial fibrillation
- Stroke
NCLEX cues
- Strep throat history plus migratory joint pain/murmur.
- Antibiotic completion prevents rheumatic fever.
Memory hooks
- Strep can scar valves if not treated.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Throat testing
- ASO/anti-DNase B when ordered
- Echocardiogram
- ECG
- Inflammatory markers
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.