Maria Karnakova
Russian Federation
Research Article
Gout Management in Primary Health Care in Russian Federation
Author(s): Alexey Kalyagin and Maria KarnakovaAlexey Kalyagin and Maria Karnakova
Abstract Objective: The study is aimed at evaluating the level of knowledge of out-patient doctors about modern methods of gout diagnostics and treatment. Methods: The authors developed a questionnaire on gout diagnostics and treatment and carried out an anonymous survey of 50 primary care physicians and 21 rheumatologists. Results: The study revealed low awareness of gout among first contact doctors. Doctors of both specialties use modern methods of diagnostics and treatment insufficiently. Only 62% of rheumatologists and 6% of therapists use Wallace criteria for gout diagnostics. Although 90% of rheumatologists and 42% of therapists specified identification of monosodium urate crystals by the method of polarizing microscopy as a “gold standard” of gout diagnostics, most of doctors noted impossibility of using a polarizing microscope at their workplaces. Conclusion: It is.. View More»