title: Echocardiography and valve replacement in the critically ill patient with acute rheumatic carditis.
abstract: In 4 critically ill patients with acute rheumatic carditis, valve incompetence, and severe life-threatening cardiac failure, medical treatment consisting of bedrest, oxygen, digitalis, diuretics, and steroids produced little or no clinical improvement. Echocardiography showed that in each patient myocardial function was relatively well preserved despite active rheumatic carditis and the critical clinical state. Emergency valve replacement was performed, and a good clinical result was achieved in all 4 patients.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D004452:Echocardiography; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D012213:Rheumatic Fever; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000601:surgery*