Gout Diagnosis Calculator

If podagra diagnosis criteria give you a headache, our gout diagnosis calculator can be your painkiller! Find out everything you need to know at hand about the diagnosis and management of gout. Read on to find out:

• What are the gout diagnosis criteria and gout risk factors;
• The role of colchicine and allopurinol; and
• What is the colchicine dosage in acute gout.

We try our best to make our Omni Calculators as precise and reliable as possible. However, this tool can never replace a professional doctor's assessment. Consult a doctor if you think you may have gout.

Gout (or podagra) is one of the most prevalent diseases of the joints. About 1 in 25 adult persons in the US will experience gout symptoms in their life.

A gout flare is a state of acute inflammation. The affected joint, usually the first metatarsophalangeal joint (big toe joint), is red, swollen, and tender. Gout typically affects overweight males previously diagnosed with at least one cardiovascular disease. Measuring the uric acid in the blood is also helpful, as the uric acid is usually high in those patients.

To sum up, let's list the criteria used in the gout diagnosis calculator:

• Painful joint inflammation — red, swollen, and tender first metatarsophalangeal joint (the most common area);
• Uric acid level is high;
• Patient is a male;
• Patient has previously been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or arthritis; and
• Sudden onset of the symptoms (one day).

Our gout diagnosis calculator is very easy to use. Read the list of questions, and mark 'Yes' for those that are true for your patient. The result will be ready at the very bottom of the calculator.

Based on our scoring, we can differentiate three groups of patients:

• Up to 4 points total — the prevalence of gout in this group is very low (2.2 %), and the diagnosis is improbable.
• Between 4 and 7.5 points — the prevalence of gout is 31.2 %. You might need further testing, like the synovial fluid analysis.
• Above 7.5 points — the diagnosis of gout is very likely; in this group, the prevalence of gout is even 80.4 %.

Treatment of acute and chronic gout differs a lot. For regular treatment, you want to address the high uric acid level and other inflammatory factors. In an acute gout flare-up, you want to suppress the inflammation as fast as possible.

Drugs used for acute gout treatment are:

1. Colchicine;
2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., indomethacin); and
3. Steroids if needed (e.g., if the patient cannot tolerate colchicine and NSAIDs). To estimate the correct corticosteroid dosage, use steroid conversion calculator.

We should dose with colchicine cautiously:

• Use 1.2 mg for the first dose;
• Then take 0.6 mg for the second dose one hour after the first dose; and
• In the subsequent days, use 0.6-1.2 mg of colchicine per day.