RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Cynthia Eubanks
American Sentinel University
N512 Advanced PathophysiologyOBJECTIVES
• Discuss what rheumatoid arthritis is
• Pathophysiology and clinical presentations
• Discuss diagnostic and
...
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Cynthia Eubanks
American Sentinel University
N512 Advanced PathophysiologyOBJECTIVES
• Discuss what rheumatoid arthritis is
• Pathophysiology and clinical presentations
• Discuss diagnostic and laboratory testing performed
• Discuss comprehensive, holistic plan of care
• ConclusionWHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly
attacks the joints. This causes inflammation that causes the tissue that lines that inside of the joints
(synovium) to become thick and this causes swelling and pain around and in the joints. The synovium
creates that lubricates the joints and assists them in moving smoothly.
• If the inflammation in the joints go unchecked and untreated, it can damage cartilage, the elastic
tissue the covers the ends of bones in a joint, as well as the bones themselves. As time goes on, there
is a loss of cartilage and joint spacing between the bones can become smaller. The joints can become
unstable, loose, painful and lose their mobility. There can also be joint deformity. Once the joint is
damaged, the damage can not be reversed. Since joint damage can be happen early, doctors
recommend early diagnosis and aggressive treatment to control the rheumatoid arthritis.WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
• Rheumatoid arthritis most commonly affects the joints of the feet, hands, knees, ankles, wrists and
elbows. Usually when one joint is affected such as the hand or knee, then the other one is usually
affected as well. Not only does rheumatoid arthritis affect the joints, it can also affect body systems
too, such as the cardiovascular or respiratory systems, this is called a systemic disease which means
the entire body.PATHOPHSIOLOGY OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
• Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune disorders that affects approximately 1% of the
population worldwide. The exact cause of RA is not known, but the initiation of the disorder seems to
come from an interaction among genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers, and chance. RA is
defined by dysregulated inflammatory processes in the synovium of the joint that eventually leads to
the destruction of both cartilaginous and bony elements of the joint, with resulting pain and disability.
The systemic inflammation that’s affiliated with RA is affiliated with a variety of extra-articular
comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, resulting in increased mortality in patients with RA.
RA can also be associated with some psychosocial disorders.
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