Introduction:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints and can present with systemic manifestations. Diagnosis is based on clinical criteria and laboratory tests, and there is no definitive cure despite therapeutic advances.

Objective:

To determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a general hospital between January and June 2023.

Methodology:

observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of RA and complete medical records were included. Non-probability sampling of consecutive cases was used.

Results:

147 patient records with RA were analyzed, with a mean age of 49 ± 12.6 years. 91% were women. 94% were seropositive for RA, 38% reported joint pain, of which 59% was in the knees, and 9% presented with joint deformities, mainly in the hands.

Conclusion:

The majority of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are women, almost all of whom are seropositive. Localized joint pain was primarily seen in the knees, and hand deformities were common. This study contributes to a better understanding of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of these patients, which is useful for improving care strategies.

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