Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical-Surgical - Musculoskeletal System | @LevelUpRN

Level Up RN10 minutes read

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition affecting weight-bearing joints, with risk factors and treatment options including medications, injections, and lifestyle modifications. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder, presents with distinct symptoms and diagnostic tests, requiring immunosuppressants and therapy for management, with nursing care focused on monitoring complications and patient education.

Insights

  • Osteoarthritis is characterized by cartilage degeneration in weight-bearing joints due to mechanical stress, leading to inflammation and reduced mobility, with risk factors including age, gender, smoking, obesity, and joint stress.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder, involves antibodies attacking the synovium, causing joint swelling and destruction, with diagnostic tests like rheumatoid factor and imaging to confirm, treated with immunosuppressants and therapy, showcasing distinct symptoms and care needs compared to osteoarthritis.

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Recent questions

  • What is osteoarthritis?

    Degeneration of joint cartilage causing pain and stiffness.

  • What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

    Swelling, inflammation, joint pain, and deformities.

  • How is osteoarthritis treated?

    Medications, injections, patient education, and therapy.

  • What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis?

    Older age, female gender, smoking, obesity, joint stress.

  • How is rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed?

    Rheumatoid factor, ANA titer, blood tests, imaging.

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Summary

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Arthritis: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments Explained

  • Osteoarthritis involves progressive degeneration of articular cartilage in weight-bearing joints due to mechanical stress, leading to inflammation, bone spurs, and decreased mobility.
  • Risk factors for osteoarthritis include older age, female gender, smoking, obesity, and repetitive joint stress, with symptoms like joint pain, stiffness, enlarged joints, and crepitus.
  • Medications for osteoarthritis include oral analgesics like NSAIDs, topical options such as Voltaren gel and capsaicin, and supplements like glucosamine to reduce inflammation and cartilage degeneration.
  • Treatments for osteoarthritis may involve injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid into the joint, along with patient education on rest-activity balance, weight loss, strength training, physical therapy, and the use of ice and heat for pain management.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies attack the synovium, causing swelling, inflammation, and destruction of cartilage and bone, with symptoms like bilateral joint pain, morning stiffness, and joint deformities.
  • Diagnostic tests for rheumatoid arthritis include positive rheumatoid factor and ANA titer, elevated white blood cells, CRP, and ESR, with imaging like X-rays, MRIs, and arthrocentesis to confirm the diagnosis.
  • Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis involves immunosuppressants like prednisone or methotrexate, NSAIDs, hydroxychloroquine, and procedures like plasmapheresis, along with physical and occupational therapy for management.
  • Nursing care for rheumatoid arthritis includes monitoring for complications like Sjogren's syndrome, providing patient education on morning stiffness relief, physical activity, and assistive devices for safety.
  • Key differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis include the former being degenerative and the latter autoimmune, with distinct symptoms like end-of-day pain in osteoarthritis and morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis, along with specific joint involvement and deformities.
  • A quiz at the end of the video tests knowledge on symptoms and lab results indicative of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, reinforcing key points discussed throughout the video for better understanding and retention.
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