An analysis of the american rheumatism association criteria for rheumatoid arthritis

✍ Scribed by Donald M. Mitchell; Dr. James F. Fries

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 671 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780250501

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

When a community‐derived population of 840 rheumatoid arthritis patients was used to test the American Rheumatism Association's 11 diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, these criteria divided patients into 3 reasonably distinct classifications (probable, definite, and classic). The severity of disease increased in direct proportion to the number of positive criteria. Three criteria involve invasive procedures that are rarely performed; they are unnecessary for effective use of the other 8 criteria. Although 256 possible combinations of these 8 criteria exist, the criteria function principally to classify patients into only 7 major clinical syndromes, each of which corresponds to a major clinical presentation. By identifying the logical interrelationships between criteria in this report, we have confirmed their applicability and provided insight into the manner by which criteria classify patients.