Accelerated junctional rhythm in children with acute rheumatic fever: is it specific to the disease?

[acute rheumatic fever]

During the course of acute rheumatic fever , some electrocardiographic changes are seen . First -degree atrioventricular block is the most common electrocardiographic abnormality . Second - and third -degree atrioventricular block , ventricular tachycardia , and junctional acceleration are also seen . In the present study , the specificity of accelerated junctional rhythm to acute rheumatic fever was INVESTIGATED .The study included patients with acute rheumatic fever (Group 1 ), healthy children who had suffered from recent group A Î²-haemolytic streptococcal upper respiratory tract infection but did not develop acute rheumatic fever (Group 2 ), and patients who had other diseases that may affect the joints and /or heart (Group 3 ).Accelerated junctional rhythm was detected in 10 patients in Group 1 , but in none of the patients from Group 2 or 3 . Specificity of accelerated junctional rhythm for acute rheumatic fever was 100 % and the positive predictive value was 100 %.Accelerated junctional rhythm is specific to acute rheumatic fever . Although its frequency is low , it seems that it can be used in the differential diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever , especially in patients with isolated polyarthritis .

Diseases
Validation

Diseases presenting "ventricular tachycardia" symptom

acute rheumatic fever

fabry disease

This symptom has already been validated