Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in population with arthralgia presenting to a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate patients presenting to healthcare facilities because of joint pain and subsequently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

The prospective study was conducted from August 1, 2013,to January 20, 2014, at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, and comprised patients presenting with joint pain. A questionnaire was used to collect data, and patients were diagnosed using American College of Rheumatology / European League Against Rheumatism Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.

RESULTS

Of the 320 patients approached, 316(98.7%) filled the questionnaire. Eighty five (26.9%) were diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. Sixty (70.5%) were females and 25 (26.3%) were males. The frequency of rheumatoid arthritis was higher in people in 4th, 5th and 6th decades of life. Twenty five (7.9%) patients had positive family history, 77 (90.2%) were chronic sufferers and only 53 (16%) agreed to follow recommended immunosuppressive therapies. 212 (67.1%) patients belonged to highly literate class.

CONCLUSIONS

Proper guidance regarding the disease was found to be lacking in the urban centre.