Endocarditis A Secondary Affection

Categories: Uncategorized
Sources: Disturbances Of The Heart

Mild endocarditis is rarely a primary affection, and is almost

invariably secondary to one of the diseases named above. Nearly 75

percent of secondary endocarditis occurs as a complication of acute

articular rheumatism and chorea, or subsequently. On the other hand,

about 40 percent of all patients with acute articular rheumatism

develop endocarditis, sometimes perhaps so mild as to be hardly

discoverable. This complic tion is most likely to occur during the

second or third week of rheumatic fever. It is not sufficiently

recognized that a subacute arthritis, recurring tonsillitis, open

and concealed infections in the mouth, and even a condition of the

system with acute, changeable and varying joint and muscle pains may

all develop a mild endocarditis, even with subsequent valvular

lesions. Therefore in all of these conditions the decision can be

made only as to how much rest the patient must have or how serious

the condition is to be considered by careful examination of the

heart in every instance.



Children are more liable than adults to this complication,

especially with rheumatism. Therefore, acute mild endocarditis with

future valvular lesions occurs most frequently during childhood and

adolescence, and if one attack has occurred, a subsequent infection,

especially of rheumatism, is liable to cause another acute

endocarditis.