July-Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
In the month of July, Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month is observed in United States. The campaign is sponsored by Arthritis Foundation. In the United States, approximately 3,00,000 children under age of 16 are suffering from Juvenile Arthritis - an auto immune disease.
Causes:
The exact cause is not known. It is believed that it may be an autoimmune disease – in which the immune system erroneously attacks its own cells and tissues. Heredity and environment also play an active role. One joint or multiple joints may be affected in Juvenile Arthritis. Signs and symptoms associated with the condition may vary from one patient to another and the type of arthritis a child suffers from.
Signs & Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms may vary from one patient to another as per type of arthritis. Common symptoms are pain, swelling, and tenderness in the joints, morning joint stiffness, persistent fever, eye redness or pain, irritability, fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision, limping, reduced range of motion and swollen lymph nodes. More joints involved, more severe the disease. Sometimes symptoms may improve, disappear (remissions) or worsen (flare-ups). In some cases, patient experience one or two flare-ups and never have symptoms again. In some other cases, patient have frequent flare-ups and symptoms which never go away.
Diagnosis:
Combination of tests are conducted to rule out other conditions that showing similar signs and symptoms. Blood tests like ESR, CRP, Rh Factor, Anti-nuclear antibody, CCP are conducted to confirm diagnosis. X-rays or MRI also conducted to rule out other conditions such as fractures, tumors, infection or congenital defects. Imaging also used frequently after the diagnosis to monitor bone development and detect joint damage. Also, bone scans, joint fluid sampling and synovial tissue sampling are conducted to rule out other conditions that generate similar signs and symptoms.
Treatment:
Treatment mainly aimed to focus on helping the patient to maintain a normal physical and social activity. Line of treatment aimed to relieve pain and swelling, maintain full movement and strength, and prevent complications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs (SAARDs), Corticosteroids and anti-metabolites are used to manage pain, improve function and minimize potential joint damage. Physical therapy exercises advised to keep the joints flexible and maintain range of motion and muscle tone. In severe cases, surgery required for improvement of joint function. Regular exercise, applying cold or heat packs, and eating a well-balanced diet minimize complications of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
ICD-10 diagnosis codes for Juvenile arthritis:
Pediatric rheumatologists or the physician treating Juvenile Arthritis patients must document symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment using the correct medical codes.
M08 - Juvenile arthritis
M08.0 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
M08.00 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, of unspecified site
M08.01 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, shoulder
M08.011 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right shoulder
M08.012 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left shoulder
M08.019 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified shoulder
M08.02 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis of elbow
M08.021 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right elbow
M08.022 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left elbow
M08.029 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified elbow
M08.03 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, wrist
M08.031 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right wrist
M08.032 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left wrist
M08.039 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified wrist
M08.04 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, hand
M08.041 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right hand
M08.042 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left hand
M08.049 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified hand
M08.05 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, hip
M08.051 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right hip
M08.052 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left hip
M08.059 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified hip
M08.06 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, knee
M08.061 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right knee
M08.062 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left knee
M08.069 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified knee
M08.07 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, ankle and foot
M08.071 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, right ankle and foot
M08.072 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, left ankle and foot
M08.079 - Unspecified juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified ankle and foot