NEW LOWER PRICES - ACT FAST
Registered Nurse (RN)
/
Courses
/
Medical Surgical Nursing & Pathophysiology
/
Immune Disorders
/
Rheumatic Fever Assessment

Master Rheumatic Fever Assessment with Picmonic for Nursing RN

With Picmonic, facts become pictures. We've taken what the science shows - image mnemonics work - but we've boosted the effectiveness by building and associating memorable characters, interesting audio stories, and built-in quizzing.

DOWNLOAD PDF
Rheumatic Fever Assessment

Recommended Picmonics

picmonic thumbnail
Rheumatic Fever Interventions
picmonic thumbnail
Rheumatoid Arthritis Assessment
picmonic thumbnail
Rheumatoid Arthritis Interventions
picmonic thumbnail
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Interventions
picmonic thumbnail
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Assessment

Rheumatic Fever Assessment

Roman Fever-beaver with Assess-man
Picmonic
Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the connective tissues of the heart, joints, subcutaneous tissues, and blood vessels of the central nervous system. It usually manifests 2 to 6 weeks after an untreated or partially treated group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection. Major diagnostic criteria includes carditis, polyarthritis, erythema marginatum, subcutaneous nodules and chorea, while minor symptoms include fever, arthralgia, and elevated ESR and C-reactive protein. RF can lead to rheumatic heart disease, which is characterized by scarring and deformity of the heart valves.
10 KEY FACTS
MECHANISM
Aschoff Bodies
Ash-pile

Nodules, called Aschoff’s bodies, are inflammatory, hemorrhagic lesions that form following GABHS infection causing swelling, fragmentation, and alterations in connective tissue. As the Aschoff’s bodies age, these lesions become more fibrous, and scar tissue forms in the heart, blood vessels, brain, pleura, and joint surfaces.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS - MAJOR
Carditis
Heart-card

Carditis is a major manifestation of RF and is defined as inflammation of all parts of the heart, primarily the mitral valves. Symptoms may include tachycardia, pericardial friction rub, muffled heart sounds, apical systolic murmurs (due to mitral regurgitation), and peripheral edema. As this continues, rheumatic heart disease can develop, which affects the cardiac valves, particularly the mitral valve.

Subcutaneous Nodules
Sub-Q-tip Knobs

Assess the patient’s skin for subcutaneous nodules often over the joints and bony prominences. Nodules range in size from 0.5 to 1 cm and are hard, painless, and freely movable.

Polyarthritis
Polly-King-Arthur

Polyarthritis is the most common finding in RF and includes swelling, heat, redness, and limitation of motion, especially at the joints (elbows, knees, ankles, wrists).

Chorea
Korean-flag

Chorea is major CNS manifestation of RF and is defined as involuntary, purposeless, rapid motions of the extremities and face. This can cause facial grimaces, muscle weakness, altered speech and gait.

Erythema Marginatum
Red Marching-band

Erythema marginatum are pink or red lesions (erythematous macule) beginning on the trunk and spreading peripherally to the inner surface of the upper arms and thigh. The lesions are nonpruritic.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS - MINOR
Fever
Fever-beaver

A low-grade fever that spikes in the late afternoon may be present. When assessing a child with suspected rheumatic fever, be sure to inquire about a history of a sore throat as rheumatic fever manifests 2 to 6 weeks after an untreated or partially treated group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection of the upper respiratory tract.

Arthralgia
King Arthur-algae

Arthralgia is joint pain that can affect one or more joints and is a minor clinical manifestation of RF.

Elevated ESR and C-reactive Protein
Up-arrow ESR tubes and Up-arrow C-reactive Mr. Protein

Laboratory findings include an elevated ESR and CRP.

COMPLICATIONS
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Roman Heart

RF can lead to rheumatic heart disease, which is characterized by scarring and deformity of the heart valves, particularly the mitral valve.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Take the Rheumatic Fever Assessment Quiz

Picmonic's rapid review multiple-choice quiz allows you to assess your knowledge.

It's worth every penny

Our Story Mnemonics Increase Mastery and Retention

Memorize facts with phonetic mnemonics

Unforgettable characters with concise but impactful videos (2-4 min each)

Memorize facts with phonetic mnemonics

Ace Your Registered Nurse (RN) Classes & Exams with Picmonic:

Over 1,870,000 students use Picmonic’s picture mnemonics to improve knowledge, retention, and exam performance.

Choose the #1 Registered Nurse (RN) student study app.

Picmonic for Registered Nurse (RN) covers information that is relevant to your entire Registered Nurse (RN) education. Whether you’re studying for your classes or getting ready to conquer your NCLEX®-RN, Hesi, ATI, TEAS test, Kaplan exams, we’re here to help.

Works better than traditional Registered Nurse (RN) flashcards.

Research shows that students who use Picmonic see a 331% improvement in memory retention and a 50% improvement in test scores.