II. Laboratory Findings

INTRODUCTION In the preceding paper the clinical effects of a regimen of cortisone, bed rest, antibiotics, and diets stringently limited in sodium and high in potassium have been described in 53 children in initial attacks of rheumatic carditis.1The clinical response suggested that such treatment was beneficial and that the treatment program suppressed the disease process. The present paper describes in detail the changes in the routine bacteriological, hematological, biochemical, and related studies conducted prior to, during, and following therapy. METHODS In addition to determinations of sedimentation rates, blood cell counts, and urinalyses, nose and throat swabs were cultured for predominant organisms, and antistreptolysin O titers were determined.2The biochemical studies included measurements of fasting levels of nonprotein nitrogen and sugar in venous blood and of total CO2content, chloride, sodium, potassium, total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, and phosphorus in serum.3 As in the case of