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The role of the rheumatologist in managing arthritis
Author(s) -
Clemens Laurence E
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143843.x
Subject(s) - medicine , arthritis , regimen , intensive care medicine , disease , inflammatory arthritis , physical therapy
SUMMARY When and why should a patient with arthritis see a rheumatologist? • To establish or confirm the diagnosis: — aim for diagnosis within six weeks of onset. • To plan an optimal management program: — early, aggressive treatment is essential to achieve the best outcome in patients with inflammatory arthritis. • To assess the response to treatment: — failure to respond to treatment requires a change in drug regimen — objective measures of disease activity should be used.