Evaluation of Rheumatic Complaints Save

Check out the accompanying Advanced Practice Rheum: Evaluation of Rheumatic Complaints video. In this video, Dr. Cush provides a systematic approach to evaluating musculoskeletal and rheumatic complaints in clinical practice. He emphasizes three key priorities: identifying "red flag" conditions (septic arthritis, gout, pseudogout, and fractures) that present acutely, making timely diagnoses by considering the most common conditions first based on patient age and demographics, and thinking like a rheumatologist by asking whether symptoms are inflammatory versus non-inflammatory, acute versus chronic, articular versus non-articular, and monoarticular versus polyarticular. The presentation stresses the importance of thorough joint examination, recognizing fibromyalgia as a frequent diagnosis, and understanding that common conditions like osteoarthritis, low back pain, and trauma affect millions while rare conditions like lupus are far less prevalent.