Prevention of Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever is in most instances preventable. In 1953 the Committee on the Prevention of Rheumatic Fever of the American Heart Association published a valuable outline report setting forth the recommended preventive measures in detail.¹Now, after two years, they have brought this report up-to-date.²In addition to minor changes in wording, the new report stresses the fact that in treating streptococcic infections effective blood levels of penicillin must be maintained for 10 days regardless of the patient's clinical improvement in order to prevent rheumatic fever by eradicating streptococci from the throat. In addition to dosages for procaine penicillin with aluminum monostearate in oil they give those for benzathine penicillin G, which because of its prolonged action is preferred. In order to prevent streptococcic infections in rheumatic persons continuous prophylactic treatment should be given to all those who have a well-established history of a previous attack of rheumatic