Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Rheumatic fever electrocardiogram
Introduction
Overview
Overview
On electrocardiogram, rheumatic fever is characterized by PR interval prolongation, conduction abnormalities, arryhthmias, or P mitrale depending on the structures involved and the extent of cardiac damage.
Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram
ECG changes depend on the structures involved and the extent of cardiac damage. The following ECG changes may be noted in patients with rheumatic fever:[1][2]
- Sinus tachycardia or bradycardia depending on vagal tone
- Prolongation of PR interval
- Variable degree of AV conduction block
- P mitrale secondary to mitral valve abnormalities
- Mitral valve abnormalities which may lead to development of atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation
- T-wave inversions which may be noted in leads I, II and IV suggestive of pericardial involvement
- ST segment elevation may also be present in leads II, III, aVF and V4 to V6 in patients with acute pericarditis
References
References
- ↑ SOKOLOW M (1947). “The electrocardiogram in the diagnosis and management of rheumatic fever”. Calif Med. 66 (4): 221–6. PMID 20294585.
- ↑ KAHN J, SHAPIRO E, LIPKIS ML (December 1948). “The electrocardiogram in rheumatic fever”. Calif Med. 69 (6): 449–52. PMC 1643649. PMID 18099073.
- ↑ Image courtesy of ECGPedia (2015). http://en.ecgpedia.org/wiki/Short_coupled_Torsades_de_Pointes Accessed on October 19, 2015.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Anthony Gallo, B.S. [2]