Hospital presentations: joint swelling
Provided by BMJ Learning
About the course
After completing this module, you should have the knowledge and confidence to:
- Differentiate between mono-, oligo-, and polyarthritis and recall principal causes for each
- Arrange timely joint aspiration when appropriate to investigate for a septic cause
- Recognise the importance of history for clues to the diagnosis
- Order, interpret, and act on initial investigations: blood tests, radiographs, joint aspiration, cultures
- Recall treatment options for acute arthritides
- Practise safe prescribing of analgesia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis
- Be aware of second-line therapy and its complications.