If you've ever had rheumatic ; heart disease, that tooth you're about to have pulled could cause .you irreparable heart damage.
So could those boils which |iave been giving you so much trouble lately.
That's what Dr. Harry E. Dascomb, professor of medicine at the Louisiana State University medical school, told those who participated Monday in a Short course of cardiac nursing. The course, which lasts through Friday, is being held at the LSU fnedical school. It is being spon-> sored jointly by the department of nursing of the Louisiana State University Medical school and the Louisiana Heart Association,
Dr. Dascomb said bacteria Jias a way of gaining entrance to the bloodstream through such things as an extracted tooth or a boil,
FIRST COMPLICATION
"As you know," he added, "the first complication of rheumatic heart disease is a deformed valve of the heart. The heart valve becomes infected as a result of bacteria circulate ing in the bloodstream. These
bacteria lodge on the damaged heart valve. And a disease, known as sub-acute bacterial endocarditis, results."
But this, added the physician Is only the beginning.
"The endocarditis," he explained, "further damages the valve and the second complication — congestive heart failure may follow."
What to do about it? Dr. Das-comb believes taking an anti-fciotic as a preventive measure may help avoid irreparable heart damage. Penicillin, for instance, could be taken just before a tooth extraction or just as a boil begins to form.
The physician said such anti-Biotics should be given only on a physician's advice and should be taken only under the most careful medical supervision.
Dr. Dascomb said bacteria may also gain entrance into the bloodstream as a result of pneumonia, skin abscesses, or a urir Jiary tract infection, such as oyelitis.
EMPHASIZES POINT
'."And this is one thing I'd like to emphasize," he added, "al-Jiough bacteria may gain entrance to the blood stream of people with normal hearts the jShance of serious heart involvements is rare in such cases."
Another speaker Monday expressed the belief that someday theumatic heart disease maybe-come a medical rarity. ! "If the information we now have available is used properly
the number of cases of rheumatic heart disease can be cut down to a minimum," said Dr. Rosaline Novick, assistant professor ol pediatrics, Louisiana State University medical school.
Dr. Novick said early diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever will help prevent rheumatic heart disease and that the rheumatic fever itself can often be prevented by treating the streptococci infection which causes it.
ANTIBIOTICS NOTED
The best way of dealing with the "strep" infection, added the pediatrician, is through use of penicillin and other antibiotics.
"There's also the child who has had rheumatic fever and as a result, is very susceptible to the disease," said Dr. Novick. "Leaders of the American Heart Association and other august bodies recommend that such a child be given a small dose of an antibiotic daily throughout his childhood." <
The pediatrician said there is no reason for parents to become panicky; that only about three per cent of the children who de-! velop "strep" infection getrheu-matic fever.
"But since your child may be among the three per cent," she added, "it would be wise to call your physician if he begins running a fever, has swollen joints and a sore throat. Again there's no need for panic. The child may have fallen down and sprained his ankle, which would
account for the swollen joint. And he may just happen to have a cold at the same time."
Sister Henrietta Guyot, RN, a member of the planning committee, presided at the opening session. Also on the planning committee was Mrs. Mary J. Campbell, RN, assistant professor in nursing, Louisiana State university department of nursing. PHOTO: Medical Teachers Examine Plastic Heart - STUDYING A MOCK-UP of the human heart and blood circulation system Monday are four
of the instructors at the one-day cardiac clinic at the Louisiana State university medical school. They are (from left), Dr. Boslind Novick, assistant professor of pediatrics; Sister Henrietta Guyot, R. N., professor in nursing and director, department of nursing; Dr. Harry .E. Dasoomb, professor of medicine; and Mrs. Mary J. Campbell, R. N., assistant professor in nursing. All are instructors at LSU medical school.
