Christina Rafano explains how rheumatoid arthritis develops in four stages: inflammation triggers pannus formation, which destroys tissue and causes swelling, leading to lost joint function and complications like rheumatoid vasculitis and ankylosis.
In this video, we're diving into the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis so that you understand what's happening with it inside the body and can critically think about it for your nursing school exams. Let's dive in. Now, before we get started, don't miss out on this free cheat sheet that walks you through my top study tips to help you pass your exams. Print it off and use it while you study so that you can learn things through faster. Now let's get started. To start. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune systemic inflammatory disorder that causes inflammation of the synovial lining of joints. The synovial lining is that connective tissue that lines the inside of the joint. Now, RA is an autoimmune disease where the body is attacking that joint lining which causes inflammation. So let's put the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis into a simple step by step process. You know, I love putting complex topics into step by step processes for you. I just think it helps make it way easier to understand. And this is exactly how we teach pathophysiology inside the nursing SOS membership community. We break it all down for you step by step so that you can actually understand it the first time and you don't have to struggle to figure it out from a complicated textbook or anything. We make it serious, super simple for you to understand. So be sure to jump into the community and I will help you pass nursing school. Now let's dive into the steps here of what's going on with rheumatoid arthritis. Step number one of this process is that there is a trigger that causes inflammation. It's not fully understood why this initial inflammatory response occurs, but it is thought to be a combination of environmental and biological or genetic factors. Now step number two is that over time that inflammation causes tissue destruction, edema, and the development of spongy feeling tissue on the joint, which is called pannis. Now, this extra tissue growth, that pannis can cause pain and damage to the joints and the surrounding cartilage, which will decrease mobility and function of that affected joint, which is now step number three of this process. There's decreased function and movement of the joint. And now step number four is the possible complications of ra, namely rheumatoid vascular vasculitis and ankylosis. Rheumatoid vasculitis can happen in patients who have had RA for a long time and it occurs when the blood vessels become inflamed too, not just the joints. And ankylosis means that the bones are actually fusing together and they become immobile. They can't move anymore. So over time, that pan is that extra growth tissue in the joints can start to invade the surrounding tissue, the ligaments, the tendons and the bone, causing that ankylosis, where the bones actually fuse together and it causes stiffening and immobility. And that, my friend, is the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis in four simple steps. Now, if you are confused about patho and how to learn it, click on this video here and I am going to walk you through how to learn pathophysiology faster and easier in nursing school. And go become the nurse that God created only you to be. And I'll see you in that next video.
