Rheumatology Pathways

16 pathways

Work through 16 interactive rheumatology decision pathways — branching, guideline-grounded workflows that take you from presentation to assessment, risk stratification and management. Each pathway cites its source (NICE, ESC, AHA and specialty guidance), embeds the relevant calculators, and makes escalation and safety-netting explicit. For decision support only — apply clinical judgement and local protocols.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Management

DMARD initiation, DAS28 monitoring, and biologic escalation for RA

NICE CG79 2018 / EULAR 2022
Gout Management

Acute gout attack management and urate-lowering therapy initiation

EULAR 2016 / BSR 2017
ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

Diagnosis and induction therapy for ANCA vasculitis — GPA, MPA, EGPA

EULAR 2022 / BSR
SLE Management

Diagnosis, hydroxychloroquine backbone therapy, and organ-specific management of SLE

EULAR 2023 / BSR
Giant Cell Arteritis

BSR 2020 — recognise red flags, urgent prednisolone (do not delay for biopsy/USS), tocilizumab, GCA fast-track clinic.

BSR 2020; EULAR 2018
Septic Arthritis (Adult)

BSR / BOA — joint aspiration BEFORE antibiotics, empirical IV antibiotics, surgical washout.

BSR 2006; BOA 2020
Acute Polyarthritis Assessment

Pattern recognition — symmetric / asymmetric, acute / chronic, large / small joint — directs investigation and onward referral.

BSR; EULAR
Axial Spondyloarthritis

NICE NG65 — inflammatory back pain ASAS criteria, HLA-B27, MRI sacroiliac joints, NSAIDs, biologics (TNF / IL-17), comorbidities.

NICE NG65; ASAS / EULAR 2022
Psoriatic Arthritis

CASPAR criteria, distinguish PsA patterns, NSAIDs / DMARDs / biologics, treat skin + joints + comorbidities together.

EULAR 2023; GRAPPA 2021
Scleroderma Renal Crisis

Acute hypertension + AKI in systemic sclerosis — urgent ACE-I (lifesaving), avoid steroids >15 mg/day.

EULAR 2023; UK Scleroderma Study Group
Polymyalgia Rheumatica

BSR — diagnostic criteria, exclude mimics, low-dose prednisolone, slow taper, monitor for GCA.

BSR 2010; EULAR/ACR 2015
Reactive Arthritis

Post-infectious asymmetric oligoarthritis — GU / GI trigger, NSAIDs, address infection, screen STI.

EULAR; GUM
Adult-Onset Still's Disease

Yamaguchi criteria — quotidian fever + salmon rash + arthritis + ferritin ↑↑ — exclude infection / malignancy first.

EULAR 2024
Behçet's Disease

Recurrent oral + genital ulcers + uveitis + skin lesions — variable systemic involvement (vascular, neuro, GI), corticosteroid + steroid-sparing.

EULAR 2018; ISG 1990 criteria
Sjögren's Syndrome

Sicca symptoms + autoantibodies (anti-Ro/La) + Schirmer / salivary gland biopsy — symptomatic + lymphoma surveillance.

ACR/EULAR 2016
Ehlers-Danlos / Hypermobility Spectrum

Beighton score, distinguish hypermobility spectrum from hEDS / classical / vascular EDS, multidisciplinary management.

International EDS Consortium 2017