title: [Treatment strategy for rheumatoid arthritis in Croatia].
abstract: The main objectives of the current treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are disease control, inhibition of radiographic progression and finally remission. Presumptions to achieving these goals are early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and early administered therapy with disease modifying drugs as monotherapy or combination of drugs. The optimal therapeutic response is influenced by tight control of the patients, evaluation of efficacy and tolerability and change of therapeutic strategy as needed. For the patients refractory to standard disease modifying drugs anti-TNFa drugs can be added. The choice of anti-TNFalpha drug should be done regarding efficacy, tolerability and method of drug administration. In a patient who is failing to respond after 3 months to one anti-TNFalpha we can try other one or rituximab.
authors.affiliation: Klinika za reumatske bolesti i rehabilitaciju, Referentni centar MZSS RH za reumatoidni artritis, Klinicki bolnicki centar Zagreb.
authors.forename: Bozidar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Curković
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha