This first-line protocol applies to patients with confirmed or suspected acute rheumatic fever (ARF) who present with arthritis, severe arthralgia, or fever — the key early manifestations that drive initial treatment decisions.
Anti-inflammatory therapy should be commenced in patients with arthritis or severe arthralgia once the diagnosis of ARF has been made. Fever alone, or fever accompanied by only mild arthralgia, may be managed differently pending diagnostic confirmation.
Initial management involves oral analgesic therapy for mild-to-moderate pain relief, applied as a first-line measure while diagnostic confirmation is still pending. The complete structured regimen — including the full range of options, clinical decision points, and dose guidance — is available in the protocol.