How to treat rheumatic heart disease

  The main treatment for patients with rheumatic heart disease is symptomatic supportive therapy. If the patient has acute pulmonary edema, then it is recommended that nitrates can be applied to help dilate the venous system and reduce the preload on the heart. Try to avoid the use of vasodilating drugs that dilate mainly small arteries.  When an acute attack of pulmonary edema is present, if the patient has atrial fibrillation, then cilantro can also be used in combination to help slow down the ventricular rate and improve the patient’s symptoms of panic. For patients whose ventricular rate is not well controlled with cilantro alone, diltiazem or esmolol may be used. For patients with a history of atrial fibrillation of less than one year and a left atrial internal diameter of less than 60 mm, electrical or pharmacological cardioversion may also be considered. For patients who are unable to undergo cardioversion or whose cardioversion fails, beta-blockers, non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, and digitalis may be used to control the ventricular rate. While controlling the ventricular rate, attention should also be paid to preventing the risk of thromboembolism. Patients are advised to take oral warfarin, which is generally recommended to control the international normalized ratio of 2.5 to 3. If a patient with rheumatic heart disease develops massive hemoptysis, attention must be paid to the sedated position, as well as sedation and diuretic therapy, which helps to lower the pulmonary artery pressure. The representative diuretics are Torasemide, Furosemide, etc.  In addition to the above symptomatic supportive therapy, attention should be paid to the prevention of rheumatic fever and infective endocarditis. Long-term or even lifelong anti-rheumatic fever treatment is recommended. In clinical practice, 1.2 million units of benzathine penicillin is usually chosen and injected intramuscularly once a month.