RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Course overview

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS A SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE CHARACTERIZED BY INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS AND EXTRA-ARTICULAR INVOLVEMENT. IT IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISORDER CAUSED IN MANY CASES BY THE INTERACTION BETWEEN GENES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, INCLUDING TOBACCO, THAT PRIMARILY INVOLVES SYNOVIAL JOINTS. IT TYPICALLY STARTS IN SMALL PERIPHERAL JOINTS, IS USUALLY SYMMETRIC, AND PROGRESSES TO INVOLVE PROXIMAL JOINTS IF LEFT UNTREATED. JOINT INFLAMMATION OVER TIME LEADS TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE JOINT WITH LOSS OF CARTILAGE AND BONE EROSIONS. RA WITH A SYMPTOM DURATION OF FEWER THAN SIX MONTHS IS DEFINED AS EARLY RA, AND WHEN THE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN PRESENT FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS, IT IS DEFINED AS ESTABLISHED RA. RA, IF UNTREATED, IS A PROGRESSIVE DISEASE WITH MORBIDITY AND INCREASED MORTALITY. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.