RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT AND ANESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disorder characterized by acute and chronic systemic inflammation that primarily involves the joints, but may also affect many tissues and organs, including blood vessels, heart, skin, lungs, and muscles. The onset and severity of disease is variable and usually insidious. RA initially presents with fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and stiffness and only after weeks to months does it progress to involve joints. Generally, the small joints are affected first, particularlythe small bones of the hands. Later larger joints are affected, becoming swollen, warm, and painful1. Morning stiffness or stiffness upon inactivity are symptoms of RA and indicate active disease. The patient usually describes slowness or difficulty moving when getting out of bed or after staying in one position too long. Both sides of the body are involved and symptoms decrease with movement2. Since there are no specific laboratory tests, the diagnosis of RA it is made based on clinical features. Four of the seven criteria listed in Table 1 confirm the diagnosis1.