Rheumatoid arthritis. Early intervention can change outcomes.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with a predilection for synovial tissues, although it can affect other organs. Although the precise etiology is uncertain, viruses, genetics, immune dysfunction and physical trauma have all been implicated as causes for RA. The most basic definition, therefore, is that RA is inflammatory. The RA patient may have difficulty closing a fist or may have a week grip. The late stages of RA are easy to identify by X-ray, but to really perform a service for a patient, you must be able to identify its early stages. To do this, you must be able to examine joints. If a patient does not have a history of liver disease or heavy alcohol intake, methotrexate is the first treatment choice except in the very mildest of cases, when you can use NSAIDs. Steroids are sometimes an essential treatment, but use them with great caution and pay attention to the minimum effective dose.
Department of Rheumatology and Pain Management, Arthritis Center of Connecticut, Waterbury, USA.
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D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome