Gout

Question 1

What is Gout?

Answer 1

A metabolic disorder characterized by high blood levels of uric acid from the metabolism of nucleic acids (protein)

Question 2

How is uric acid typically excreted?

Answer 2

in urine

Question 3

What happens when it is not or levels are high?

Answer 3

forms sodium urate crystals in joints

Question 4

What joints do sodium urate crystals particularly like?

Answer 4

1. Big Toe

2. Kidney Joint

Question 5

What causes a gouty attack to occur?

Answer 5

Phagocytes enter the joint to rid the body of the antigen (crystals) and in the process make the environment more acidic - which ofcourse the crystals love - AND so they grow even bigger.

Question 6

What are the 4 drug categories used for gout?

Answer 6

1. Anti-Gout Agents
2. Hypouricemic Agents
3. Anti-inflammatory
4. Uricosuric

Question 7

What is the 1 anti-gout agent and how does it work?

Answer 7

Colchichine

inhibits phagocytes from attacking crystals

Question 8

What are the 2 hypouricemic agents and how do they work?

Answer 8

1. Allopurinol
2. Febuxostat
   inhibiting the enzyme xanthine oxidase from metabolizing hypoxanthine into uric acid - so inhibit synthesis of uric acid

Question 9

What is the 1 common anti-inflammatory?

Answer 9

Indomethacin

Question 10

What is 1 uricosuric and how does it work?

Answer 10

Probenecid

enhances excretion of uric acid and inhibits re-absorption of uric acid