Page Contents
- 1 WHAT IS IT?
- 2 WHAT CAUSES IT?
- 3 WHY IS IT CONCERNING MEDICALLY?
- 4 WHAT IS THE INTIAL PRESENTATION?
- 5 WHAT ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY?
- 6 WHAT ARE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PHYSICAL EXAM?
- 7 CLINICAL WORKUP: SERUM STUDIES
- 8 CLINICAL WORKUP: IMAGING
- 9 CLINICAL WORKUP: SEROLOGIES
- 10 HOW DO WE NARROW THE DIFFERENTIAL?
- 11 WHAT IS OUR THRESHOLD FOR DIAGNOSING THIS CONDITION?
- 12 PATIENT MANAGMENT: SYMPTOM RELEIF
- 13 PATIENT MANAGEMENT: DISEASE TREATMENT
- 14 PATIENT MANAGEMENT: PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES
- 15 COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?
- 16 ARCHIVE OF STANDARDIZED EXAM QUESTIONS
WHAT IS IT?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
WHY IS IT CONCERNING MEDICALLY?
WHAT IS THE INTIAL PRESENTATION?
Patient Chief Complaints:
- Arthritis (painful, swollen joints)
Detected Medical Problems:
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE MEDICAL HISTORY?
Risk Factors:
Medical History:
- Morning stiffness: typically the symptoms of RA are worse in the mornings and improve throughout the day with use.
WHAT ARE IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PHYSICAL EXAM?
Vital Signs:
- Fever may be present in some patients
Musculoskeletal Exam: many swollen painful joints may be present
- Commonly affected joints of the hand: PIP, MCP
- Spared joints: the DIP joints of the hand are typically not involved.
- Ulnar deviation of hands can be a common findings
- Cervical spine involvement is common.
CLINICAL WORKUP: SERUM STUDIES
General inflammation studies:
- Elevated ESR
- Elevated CRP
CLINICAL WORKUP: IMAGING
Classic X-Ray Findings:
- Soft tissue swelling
- Joint space narrowing
- Bony erosions
CLINICAL WORKUP: SEROLOGIES
The following serologies are characteristic of RA:
- Positive rheumatoid factor
- Anti-CCP antibodies (anti-cyclic citruillnated peptide.
HOW DO WE NARROW THE DIFFERENTIAL?
Conditions that present similarly and how to exclude them:
WHAT IS OUR THRESHOLD FOR DIAGNOSING THIS CONDITION?
PATIENT MANAGMENT: SYMPTOM RELEIF
PATIENT MANAGEMENT: DISEASE TREATMENT
PATIENT MANAGEMENT: PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES
COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?
ARCHIVE OF STANDARDIZED EXAM QUESTIONS
This archive compiles standardized exam questions that relate to this topic.
Page Updated: 05.07.2017