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Dispensary treatment of patients with osteoarthritis
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Already at the early stages of osteoarthrosis of large joints (mainly knee and hip), patients of working age are taken on dispensary registration. According to the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 243 of 15.12.1993, patients of working age with osteoarthrosis with damage to large joints, mainly knee and hip, are registered on dispensary registration, starting from the early stages of the disease.
For dispensary registration and long-term outpatient treatment, patients with osteoarthritis can be divided into 4 groups:
- I - patients with compensated osteoarthritis of the knee joints (without signs of synovitis, periarthritis),
- II - patients with decompensated osteoarthritis of the knee joints (with signs of synovitis, periarthritis),
- III - patients with compensated or decompensated coxarthrosis,
- IV - patients with coxarthrosis or gonarthrosis in the presence of concomitant diseases (mastopathy, fibroids, severe changes in the cardiovascular system, etc.).
For patients in group I, the frequency of scheduled visits for examination may be 2 times a year, for group II - 3 times a year, for group III - 4 times, for group IV - 4-5 times a year.
Joint radiography should be repeated annually to determine the dynamics of the process progression. General blood analysis and rheumatic tests are performed only during periods of planned calls (more often if necessary). During planned calls, the need for hospitalization is determined and indications for physiotherapy and spa treatment are specified, drug therapy, physical activity regimen, etc. are adjusted. During dispensary observation, a stage epicrisis is filled out for each dispensary patient every 12 months, which, in addition to the diagnosis, dispensary observation group and frequency of examination, should reflect the radiological stage, therapy at all three stages (outpatient clinic - hospital - resort), assessment of the degree of progression and effectiveness of dispensary examination, as well as employment, transition to disability, change of dispensary group, number of days of incapacity for work, number of cases of exacerbation in days.
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