[Answered]: A 6-year-old patient with streptococcal sore throat…

A 6-year-old patient with streptococcal sore throat takes penicillin for 2 days of a prescribed 10-day regimen. Since she begins to feel well, she is allowed to stop taking the penicillin. Three weeks later, she awakens with pain and swelling in the right ankle and fever. Upon evaluation by her physician, she is noted to have a heart murmur. She is admitted to the hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of rheumatic fever.