Rheumatic fever in children generally occurs at the age of 5 to 15 years. This disease caused by inflammation is a complication of bacterial infection and can be fatal. Therefore, you need to recognize the symptoms and how to handle them.
Rheumatic fever can cause inflammation in many organs of the body, from the brain, skin, joints, bones, to the heart. Rheumatic fever is classified as a serious condition because if it does not get proper treatment, sufferers can experience more severe health problems or even death.
These are the symptoms of rheumatic fever in children
Symptoms of rheumatic fever in children usually appear 2-4 weeks after a child suffers from a sore throat or skin problem due to an untreated bacterial infection. Symptoms of rheumatic fever in children can be:
- Fever with temperatures above 38.5 degrees Celsius.
- Knee joints, elbows, ankles and hands are swollen, reddish, painful, and feel warm to the touch.
- The body feels weak.
- Chest and stomach pain.
- Heart beating fast.
- Hard to breathe.
- Nosebleed.
- Freckles, rashes or reddish spots appear on the skin. These patches can look like a redder circle at the edges.
- The face, body, legs, and hands move or jerk all by themselves.
- Behavior changes.
- Decreased body weight.
See your doctor immediately if your child experiences the above symptoms. Rheumatic fever that is not treated immediately has the potential to cause several complications, such as brain and nerve disorders, heart valve disease, endocarditis, heart muscle damage, and even heart failure that can cause death.
How to deal with rheumatic fever in children
To determine whether a child has rheumatic fever, a complete examination by a doctor is needed which includes physical and supportive examinations, such as blood tests, sputum culture, and echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound). If the diagnosis is confirmed, then treatment for rheumatic fever needs to be given immediately.
Treatment of rheumatic fever in every child is not always the same. Generally, doctors will treat rheumatic fever in children based on age, severity of symptoms, and the child's general health condition.
But basically, the treatment carried out aims to kill bacteria or overcome the residual infection that causes inflammation, overcome the symptoms of rheumatic fever, while preventing the emergence of dangerous complications.
The following are some steps to deal with rheumatic fever:
Giving antibiotics
Antibiotics work to kill the bacteria that cause inflammation in rheumatic fever. One type of antibiotic that is commonly used by doctors is penicillin which is given by injection.
After treatment with injectable antibiotics to kill the bacteria is complete, the doctor will also prescribe other types of antibiotics to prevent recurrent infections. This type of antibiotic can be consumed by drinking.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
In addition to antibiotics, the doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs (anti-inflammatory) to ease the process of inflammation, fever, and pain felt by children with rheumatic fever.
Anti-inflammatory drugs also play a role in preventing heart damage from rheumatic fever. Examples of these drugs are aspirin and corticosteroids.
Provision of anticonvulsant drugs
In cases where the child experiences severe uncontrolled movements or convulsions, the doctor will give anticonvulsant drugs. Valproic acid and carbamazepine are examples of anticonvulsant drugs that doctors often prescribe.
If you already experience symptoms of heart problems, your doctor will also give other medicines, such as diuretics and digoxin, to treat heart problems that occur.
In addition to giving medication from a doctor, you also need to make sure your child gets enough rest to speed up recovery. If your child looks very weak and does not want to eat or drink, he may need to be hospitalized in the hospital to get fluid intake through an IV.
Steps to Prevent Rheumatic Fever
The most effective way to prevent rheumatic fever in children is to treat bacterial infections that cause inflammation. Therefore, check the child to the doctor since the symptoms of bacterial infections begin to appear, such as a sore throat or skin infection, is an important thing to do.
In addition to dealing with the cause, there are some things you also need to consider in order to prevent rheumatic fever in children, namely:
- Take care of children not to come into contact with people who are sick.
- Familiarize children not to share the use of personal items with others, such as cutlery.
- Teach and familiarize children to wash hands.
- Teach children to always close their mouths with their hands or handkerchief when they cough or sneeze.
In addition, do routine checks to the pediatrician according to the specified schedule. This is useful for monitoring children's health conditions and anticipating the occurrence of rheumatic fever due to bacterial infections.
