Can Poststreptococcal Disorder Be Prevented
You can prevent acute rheumatic fever by receiving prompt and complete treatment with antibiotics for a strep infection. This means taking all prescribed doses on time.
You cant always prevent poststreptococcal disorder, but you can take measures to prevent getting a strep infection to begin with. These include:
- avoiding contact with anyone who has a strep infection.
- washing your hands often
- not sharing toothbrushes or eating utensils
Strep throat is highly contagious and fairly common in children. Not all children who have a GAS infection will end up with poststreptococcal disorder.
What Stands Out About Yale Medicines Approach To Strep Throat
As an academic medical center, Yale Medicine offers access to highly trained and experienced pediatric specialists, including surgeons specializing in treating children with ear, nose and throat problems. These specialists are at the top of their respective fields in advanced treatment methods and clinical research.
Also, Yale Medicine is one of the few places where surgeons can offer partial tonsillectomy, which can mean a quicker and less painful recovery for children who are appropriate candidates.
Can Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease Be Treated
Group A streptococcus bacteria can be treated with common, inexpensive antibiotics. Penicillin is the drug of choice for both mild and severe disease. For penicillin-allergic patients with mild illness, erythromycin can be used, although occasional resistance has been seen. Clindamycin may be used to treat penicillin-allergic patients with more severe illness and can be added to the treatment in cases of necrotizing fasciitis or STSS. Certain other antibiotics also are effective. In addition to antibiotics, supportive care in an intensive care unit and sometimes surgery are necessary with these diseases. Early treatment may reduce the risk of death although, unfortunately, even appropriate therapy does not prevent death in every case.
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If Tonsillitis Is Caused By Strep It Can Cause Rheumatic Fever
If tonsillitis is caused by a strep throat infection, the bacteria can get into the blood system and cause a condition called rheumatic fever an inflammatory disorder primarily found in children between the ages of 6 and 16.
This condition can affect the heart, joints, and other tissues and sometimes causes permanent damage. Symptoms include sore throat, swollen and red tonsils, fever, headache, and muscle and joint aches.
The damage to the heart valve, known as rheumatic heart disease, can affect you the rest of your life, says Clark. If your heart has been injured in this way, any type of surgery you undergo where theres the potential for an infection or in the blood, you would have to be given antibiotics, he says.
This step is to prevent bacteria from growing into the damaged heart valve which would cause further damage and issues, Clark explains.
Tonsillitis Can Spread And Become An Ear Infection
Another complication is that a tonsil infection can develop into a secondary infection of the middle ear. The tonsils that are visible behind your tongue when you open your mouth are just one part of a bigger collection of lymphoid tissue known as the Waldeyers tonsillar ring , Clark explains. When we get an episode of tonsillitis, all this tissue increases in size, he explains.
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The middle ear is a sealed cavity with only one opening, called the Eustachian tube. The adenoid tissue, or the highest part of your tonsils is located in the back of the nose and is next to the Eustachian tube.
When the adenoid tissue becomes swollen from an infection it can block the Eustachian tube and result in pressure buildup in the ear. This can cause an effusion in the ear, which can then get infected, Clark explains.
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What Happens In Rheumatic Fever
The signs and symptoms of rheumatic fever happen about 3 weeks after the initial streptococcal throat infection. There can be a combination of arthritis affecting many joints, involuntary movements known as chorea, a ring like rash known as erythema marginatum, and nodules under the skin. The arthritis usually occurs first, and is present in up to 80% of patients. It is painful and can move from joint to joint. The chorea, which is the involuntary movement disorder typically, happens 1-6 months after the initial infection. This can occur in up to 1/3 of patients.
In addition there is an effect on the heart known as carditis, which is basically inflammation of the heart. This usually happens a few weeks after the infection and can affect the sac around the heart and also the valves. The signs and symptoms include a fast heart rate, a murmur and chest pain.
Abscesses Around The Tonsils
- Although peri-tonsillar abscesses can happen with any bacteria, Strep is a common offender
- Personally, I have seen more of these in kids who either only used part of their course of antibiotics or were allergic to PCN so antibiotics were avoided or used short-term to avoid becoming allergic to more antibiotics
- Just a sidebar heretaking your antibiotics as prescribed is important. The dosing is based on science so when you stop early or modify how you are taking them, you modify how the problem will respond to treatment.
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What Is The Risk
Scientists don’t know why streptococcus bacteria causes only minor infections in some people but poses a serious threat to others.
According to Health Canada, some of the risk factors that have been identified include:
- A weakened immune system, which could be caused by such factors as disease , cancer treatments or by anti-rejection drugs taken following a bone marrow or organ transplant.
- Chronic diseases, including heart, lung and liver disease.
- Recent close contact with someone who has flesh-eating disease that was caused by group A streptococcus bacteria.
- Chickenpox infection.
Diagnosis Of Group A Streptococcal Infection
For cases of pharyngitis and scarlet fever, the routine method of diagnosis is identification of the organism from a throat swab. Blood tests may also be ordered. Impetigo is diagnosed by taking a swab of the blisters or crust of sores and checking for the presence of bacteria.Toxic shock syndrome is diagnosed by examining symptoms and in some cases, by taking blood tests.
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A Simple Test Gives Fast Results
Only a rapid strep test or throat culture can determine if group A strep is the cause. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking at his or her throat.
A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. The test quickly shows if group A strep is causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics. If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects strep throat, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab. A throat culture takes time to see if group A strep bacteria grow from the swab. While it takes more time, a throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses. Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated strep throat infection. For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test. Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following a strep throat infection.
Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics. Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours.
White Patches On The Tonsils And Throat
These white patches are pus pockets. They may appear only on the tonsils or it may appear around the tonsils and throughout the mouth. It may look like streaks in the back of the throat or blotches on or around the tonsils.
Pus is a natural result of the immune system fighting an infection. It is mostly a buildup of dead white blood cells that form when the bodys immune system responds to an infection.
They are often accompanied by a raw and scratchy feeling in the throat. Difficulty in swallowing can also be experienced.
While these patches in themselves are not life-threatening, complications of the related throat infection can be. If there are other symptoms that accompany these white patches, it is best to seek medical help. These white patches may also be a symptom of other diseases and only a doctor can determine the actual underlying cause.
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How Can You Tell If Your Sore Throat Symptoms Warrant A Doctor’s Visit
Children are most at risk for developing strep throat, especially those ages 5 to 15. Up to 30% of pediatric sore throats are caused by strep, compared to 10% in adults.
Medical authorities have different recommendations for children and adults regarding when to see a doctor for a sore throat. Most viral sore throats will get better after 5 to 7 days, so a big red flag for both you or your child is if the pain lasts longer than this.
If your child has a sore throat but is too young to tell you about their symptoms, look for clues to its severity, such as whether your child is refusing to eat or drink, prefers soft foods to hard ones, has a fever, or is experiencing nausea or vomiting. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends seeing a doctor right away if your child has symptoms of inability to swallow, which include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unusual or excessive drooling
For adults, the American Academy of Otolaryngology says it’s time to call your doctor when your throat pain is severe or lasts beyond a week. Other signs that you need to stop ignoring your sore throat include such strep throat symptoms as:
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
- Fever higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit
- Ear pain
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
- Hoarseness that’s lasted longer than two weeks
Renalnews: Strep Throat And Kidney Damage Post
The strep bacterial infection causes the tiny vessels in the filtering units of the kidneys to become inflamed making the kidneys less able to filter, including rheumatic fever, and it can even lead to kidney swelling.Something as simple as a sore throat, While not all sore throats are concerning, strep throat is a mild infection, such as damage to your heart valves, strep throat often requires medical treatment with antibiotics, acute rheumatic fever, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever, then it can cause some serious complications, patients may develop serious complications, strep usually clears within about a week, or heart valveWhile strep is old, ease yourIts likely a run-of-the-mill case of strep, strep throat or an infection can cause your kidneys to go into full failure, Sore throat is one of the most common illnesses around the world, and peritonsillar 4, Its formal name is poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Usually
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What Kind Of Illnesses Does Gas Infection Cause And What Are The Symptoms
Some persons with GAS infections experience no signs or symptoms. For those with symptoms, the most common illnesses are strep throat, a skin infection called impetigo and scarlet fever. Symptoms of these illnesses are described below.
- “Strep throat,” swollen tonsils possible covered with a grayish-white film, swollen lymph nodes, and fever with or without chills, painful swallowing and headache.
- Impetigo – mild skin infection accompanied by open, draining sores and other general symptoms of GAS infection such as fever, swollen lymph nodes and a sore throat.
- Scarlet fever – characterized by a fever, sore throat, red sandpaper-like rash and a red “strawberry” tongue. It is caused by several different strains of the streptococcal bacteria, all of which produce a toxin that cause the characteristic red rash.
Anyone suspected of having an infection with Group A Streptococcus should immediately seek medical care for testing and treatment. Though common, GAS infections can become very serious if untreated.
What Are The Possible Complications Of Strep Throat
Possible complications of untreated or partially treated strep throatinfection are:
- Otitis media
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Toxic shock syndrome and/or
- Abscess formation around the tonsils and behind the throat
Formation of an abscess behind the throat due to untreated or under-treated strep throat infection can lead to severe illness causing pain in throat and neck, difficulty swallowing, and potential respiratory compromise. These abscesses may need to be drained by an ear-nose-throat specialist urgently, and hospitalization may be required.
There is also a condition called Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with group A Streptococcus infection . This is a somewhat controversial condition linking group A strep infection in children with possible development and/or exacerbation of obsessive compulsive disorders or tic disorders in children.
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Tonsillitis Caused By Strep Can Also Lead To Kidney Complications
Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis is a rare inflammatory disorder of the kidneys that can be caused by a strep throat infection. Anyone can get it after recovering from strep throat, scarlet fever, or impetigo, but its more common in children than adults. The disorder causes the kidneys to work less efficiently.
People with PSGN usually recover in a few weeks without any additional or lasting complications, though in very rare cases long-term kidney damage can occur.
What Can Be Done To Help Prevent Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections
The spread of all types of group A streptococcal infections may be reduced by good hand washing, especially after coughing and sneezing, before and after preparing foods and before eating. Persons with sore throats should be seen by a physician who can perform tests to find out whether it is strep throat if so, one should stay home from work, school or daycare for 24 hours or more after taking an antibiotic. All wounds should be kept clean. Wounds should be watched for possible signs of infection which include increasing redness, swelling and pain at the wound site. If these signs occur, especially in a person who also has a fever, consult a doctor immediately.
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What Are The Risk Factors For Strep Throat
Although adults get strep throat, too, it is most common in children from the preschool age up through middle school, into the teenage years, says Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt.
Sometimes, children are carriers of the bacteria. They may not be sick, because the bacteria grows slowly, but they can infect others in the family. For possible carriers, we dont want to keep randomly swabbing them and putting them on antibiotics, explains Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt. If we suspect a child is a carrier, we have them come in for a test when they are completely well. If they are a carrier, we can potentially treat them for good with a combination of different antibiotics. Because we know that some children may be carriers, we try to use some guidelines in testing children appropriately, and not get a rapid strep or lab culture for every sore throat that we see.
Season is another risk factor for strep throat. Though it can strike at any time of year, strep is far more common in late fall and early spring, and among groups of people in close proximity, such as school settings. It definitely comes in waves, Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt says.
How Is Glomerulonephritis Treated In A Child
Most children with kidney disease see both a pediatrician or family healthcare provider and a nephrologist. A nephrologist is a healthcare provider with special training to treat kidney problems.
Treatment will depend on your childs symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on the severity of the condition and the cause. Treatments focus on slowing the progression of the disease and preventing complications.
Treatment may include changes to your childs diet. Your child may need to limit:
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Protein. Protein is vital for proper growth and nutrition. But the kidneys may not be able to get rid of the waste products that come from eating too much protein. Your child’s healthcare provider will talk with you about how much protein your child needs.
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Potassium. Potassium is an important nutrient. But when the kidneys dont work well, too much potassium can build up in the blood. Potassium comes from certain foods. Your child may need to limit or not eat foods with a lot of potassium.
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Phosphorus. The kidneys help remove excess phosphorus from the body. If the kidneys are not working well, too much phosphorus builds up in the blood and can cause calcium to leave the bones. This can make your child’s bones weak and easy to break. Your child may need to limit foods with phosphorus.
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Sodium. A low-sodium diet can help prevent or reduce fluid retention in your child’s body. The healthcare provider will talk with you about the amount of sodium allowed in your child’s diet.
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Treatment Of Rheumatic Fever
The main treatment for rheumatic fever is penicillin. The penicillin is given by injection. Other treatments are often used such as aspirin, steroids or immunoglobulin. These other treatments have not been proven to improve long-term outcomes such as valvular heart disease. Some patients will have severe valve disease in the acute phase of rheumatic fever and may require surgery if medicines cannot stabilize the situation.