Question

When diagnosing acute rheumatic fever using the Jones criteria, the presence of two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria plus evidence of recent B-hemolytic streptococci (culture or ASO titer) makes the diagnosis?

True
False

Answer 1

Yes, the diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever utilizes the Jones criteria, which requires two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria plus evidence of a recent B-hemolytic streptococcal infection for confirmation.

Step-by-step explanation:

True, when diagnosing acute rheumatic fever (ARF), the presence of two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria, plus evidence of recent B-hemolytic streptococci (either by positive culture or elevated Antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer), confirms the diagnosis. ARF is a sequela of streptococcal pharyngitis, and its comorbidities can include both arthritis and carditis, which are immune-mediated responses to the infection. Acute-phase proteins and antimicrobial treatments are part of the management for patients with ARF to address the underlying streptococcal infection and mitigate the inflammatory response.