Health encyclopaedia

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Diagnosis of Rheumatic fever

Joint pains, new heart murmurs, heart enlargement, or the development of nervous system symptoms can all indicate rheumatic fever.

There are blood tests available that can test for indications of rheumatic fever.  The first detects a rising titre.  This means that there are high levels of antibodies in the blood. 

Another test is erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).  An ESR tests the red blood cells to see how fast they are sinking.  If they are sinking faster than usual, this could mean that the patient has an inflammatory condition such as rheumatic fever.

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