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Management of inflammatory arthritis in older people

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2010

Z Paskins ,
SN Kamath  and
AB Hassell
Z Paskins*
Affiliation:
Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre (University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust), Haywood Hospital, Stoke on Trent, UK
SN Kamath
Affiliation:
Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre (University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust), Haywood Hospital, Stoke on Trent, UK
AB Hassell
Affiliation:
Staffordshire Rheumatology Centre (University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust), Haywood Hospital, Stoke on Trent, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Z Paskins, Clinical Lecturer in Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Campaign National Primary Care Centre, Primary Care Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. Email: zpaskins@doctors.org.uk
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Summary

Musculoskeletal symptoms are extremely common, with almost one-third of people aged 75 years and over having a significant musculoskeletal problem. Joint pain due to inflammatory arthritis is important to identify, as it is potentially treatable. In elderly patients, inflammatory arthritis may not present in the ‘classical’ way, may present with non-specific symptoms and may co-exist with other musculoskeletal problems, all of which can result in diagnostic difficulty. In addition, co-morbid conditions and polypharmacy may present treatment challenges. In this paper, we discuss the general considerations in the clinical evaluation and management of a patient with inflammatory joint symptoms and discuss in more detail the diagnosis and management of the common causes of inflammatory arthritis.

Keywords

inflammatory arthritisagedrheumatoid arthritiscrystal arthritis
Type
Clinical geriatrics
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , February 2010 , pp. 42 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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