Prevention of Rheumatic Fever by Treatment of Previous Streptococcic Infections

• Patients receiving sulfadiazine for acute streptococcic pharyngitis were compared with patients receiving other therapy for the same condition. The sulfadiazine reduced the incidence of complications during the acute phase. After the first week, however, the incidence of suppurative complications was about the same in both groups. The streptococci were not eradicated. The subsequent incidence of recurrent pharyngitis in the sulfadiazine group was three times that in the contratest group, and the sulfadiazine did not prevent rheumatic fever.