The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast #399 Wisely Ordering Autoantibodies - ACP IM2023
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Jun 12, 2023 AI Snips
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Early Arthritis Case Anecdote
- A patient with joint pain and morning stiffness, without obvious synovitis, may have fibromyalgia or early autoimmune disease.
- Follow-up and repeated assessment are crucial to catch evolving inflammatory arthritis over time.
Assessing Synovitis and Stiffness
- Learn to recognize synovitis by repeated exam focusing on swelling, tenderness, and bogginess of the joint.
- Morning stiffness lasting over 30 minutes can suggest inflammatory arthritis but may overlap with fibromyalgia.
Initial Lab Approach to RA
- Initial labs for suspected rheumatoid arthritis should include ESR, CRP, rheumatoid factor, and anti-CCP.
- Consider CBC and urine protein-creatinine ratio if clinical suspicion of systemic involvement exists.