Managing your patient with gout: a review of treatment options

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis that typically presents as acute onset, recurrent, monoarticular pain. In most patients, management of pain, risk assessment for future flares, and disability is not optimal and diagnostic and management approaches are applied inconsistently. Obtaining an accurate patient history, including comorbidities, concomitant medications, and familial history, is important for optimal results. Recognizing the acute flare in the patient at risk and establishing a definitive diagnosis of gout should be conducted promptly. Therapeutic options appropriate for treating the acute flare include colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids. After flare remission, prophylaxis with a flare prevention medication, such as colchicine, should be administered followed by initiation of urate-lowering therapy with allopurinol or febuxostat. Patient education, especially counseling on risk factors and contributors to hyperuricemia and gout, can improve the likelihood of successful therapy for this often suboptimally managed disease.