9.6 Rheumatology Diagnostics

Question 1

What are the 3 categories of diagnostic tests?

Answer 1

Blood tests
Joint aspiration (synovial fluid analysis)
Imaging tests

Question 2

What are the 6 basic rheumatology blood tests?

Answer 2

Full blood count (FBC)
Urea and electrolytes (U&E)
Liver function tests (LFT)
Bone profile
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
C reactive protein (CRP)

Question 3

What 4 things should we look at in the FBC?

Answer 3

Haemoglobin levels (Hb)
Mean cell volume (MCV)
White cell count (WCC)
Platelet count (PLT)

Question 4

What would we see in the FBC for inflammatory arthritis?

Answer 4

Hb: decreased (normocytic anaemia) or normal
MCV: normal
WCC: normal
PLT: normal or increased (reactive increase due to chronic inflammation)

Question 5

What would we see in the FBC for osteoarthritis?

Answer 5

Hb: normal
MCV: normal
WCC: normal
PLT: normal

Question 6

What would we see in the FBC for septic arthritis?

Answer 6

Hb: normal
MCV: normal
WCC: increased
PLT: normal or increased

Question 7

What does 4 things U&E measure?

Answer 7

Urea
Creatinine
Sodium
Potassium