Rheumatology consultations 'improve gout diagnosis'

Consultations with gout patients who are in hospital improve the accuracy of diagnosis, according to a new study published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

Researchers led by Dr John Hanly of the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre in Halifax, Canada, undertook the study in order to determine whether "a hospital rheumatology consultation service improves diagnostic accuracy and adherence to treatment recommendations for gout".

The study authors looked at data gathered from 138 patients, whose average age was 71.3 years. More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of the patients were men.

Over a third (35 per cent) of the study participants had gout when they were admitted to hospital, 65 per cent had an attack during their hospital stay and the remainder suffered multiple attacks.

More than half of patients (57 per cent) underwent a rheumatology consultation during the time they were admitted to the hospital.

Results revealed that 65 per cent of patients who attended such a consultation had improvements in their condition compared to 37 per cent of those who did not.

In addition, injections of steroid medication were found to be higher in the group that were offered consultations (44 per cent compared to 12 per cent).

"A rheumatology consultation service for hospitalised patients with gout significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy and adherence to established guidelines for short and long-term treatment," the researchers concluded.

Gout is a form of arthritis that occurs when a substance called uric acid builds up and crystallises in the joints, causing patients to experience extreme pain and inflammation.

The disease is far more common in men than in women.

A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said in the UK gout was usually treated in general practice, not in hospital.

A major problem in treating the condition was ensuring that patients adhered to their medication aimed at reducing the incidence of flares, he added.




© Adfero Ltd

Recent related stories:

Women with gout 'face greater heart attack risk than men'
08 February 2010
Beer may protect against osteoporosis
08 February 2010
Exercise programme linked to denser bones in older women
05 February 2010
Correct dose of etanercept for psoriatic arthritis 'depends on the individual'
03 February 2010
NICE guidance on osteoporosis prevention 'will remain unchanged'
02 February 2010
Competitive sports place teens at risk of low back pain
02 February 2010
Majority of people 'gain weight after a knee replacement'
01 February 2010

Want to know more?