Handout Medical Surgical Nursing Reiter's Syndrome

Reiter's Syndrome >an ailment that causes three seemingly unrelated symptoms: arthritis, redness of the eyes, and urinary tract signs. >usually begins genitourinary tract (bladder, urethra, penis, or vagina). >It is the most common form of arthritis affecting young men >also refered as seronegative spondyloarthropathy because it is one of a group of disorders that cause inflammation throughout the body, mostly in parts of the spine and at other joints where tendons attach to bones. Ex. of other seronegative spondyloarthropathies >psoriatic arthritis >ankylosing spondylitis >inflammatory bowel syndrome arthritis Common Affectations: >urogenital tract >joints, >eyes. Less common symptoms mouth ulcers skin rashes heart-valve problems (Chronic) *The signs may be so mild that patients do not notice them. They usually come and go over a period of several weeks to several months.

Transmission: *eating or handling improperly prepared food, such as meats that are not stored at the correct temperature. II. Genitourinary/Urogenital Reiter's syndrome (Uro-Nsg) Transmission: Sexual intercourse *Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria most often linked with Reiter's syndrome acquired through sexual contact. Clinical Manifestations >appear approximately 1 to 3 weeks after the infection. People at Risk & Symptoms >Men 20 and 40y/o (Most Common) >women may also develop the disorder. Urogenital Tract Symptoms by Gender 1. Men Prostate, urethra, and penis Men may encounter an >increased need to urinate, >a burning sensation when urinating, >discharge from the penis. >prostatitis, inflammation of the prostate gland. Symptoms of prostatitis: >fever >chills >increased need to urinate >burning sensation when urinating.

*Inflammation >reaction of tissues to injury or disease and is marked by four signs: Swelling (Tumor) Redness (Rubor) Heat (Calor) Pain (Dolor)

2. Women. Fallopian tubes, uterus, and vagina >cervicitis-inflammation of the cervix >urethritis- inflammation of the urethra >salpingitis- inflammation of the fallopian tubes >vulvovaginitis- inflammation of the vulva and vagina > burning sensation during urination

Reactive arthritis >is another name for Reiter’s syndrome >arthritis occurs as a reaction to an infection that started somewhere else in the body

III. Joint Symptoms or Arthritis (Ortho-Nsg) Usual affeactations >knees >ankles >feet, causing pain and swelling.

FORMS: I. Enteric/Gastrointestinal Reiter's syndrome (Gastro-Nsg.) >develops when an individual eats food or handles substances that are contaminated with bacteria. >Salmonella >Shigella >Yersinia >Campylobacter

Least likely to be affected >Wrists >Fingers >Other joints Enthesopathy >inflammation where the tendon attaches to the bone

> may result in heel pain and the shortening and thickening of fingers and toes. Spondylitis >inflammation of the vertebrae in the spinal column) Sacroiliitis >inflammation of the joints in the lower back that connect the spine to the pelvis Other manifestations >heel spurs, >bony growths in the heel that cause chronic or long-lasting foot pain IV. Eye Involvement (EENT-Nsg) Conjunctivitis >an inflammation of the mucous membrane that covers the eyeball and eyelid, develops in roughly 50% of people with urogenital Reiter's syndrome and 75% of people with enteric Reiter's syndrome. Uveitis >an inflammation of the inner eye. *Conjunctivitis and uveitis can cause redness of the eyes, eye pain and irritation, and blurred vision. *Eye involvement typically occurs early in the course of Reiter's syndrome, and symptoms may come and go. Other Symptoms Balanitis circinata >20% to 40% of men with Reiter's syndrome develop >small, shallow, painless sores or lesions, called balanitis circinata, on the end of the penis Keratoderma blennorrhagica >rashes of small hard nodules on the soles of the feet, and less often on the palms of the hands or elsewhere Mouth ulcers >may come and go these ulcers are painless and go unnoticed Chronic Stage >10%develop heart problems including aortic regurgitation (leakage of blood from the aorta into the heart chamber) and >Pericarditis- inflammation of the membrane that covers and protects the heart (Cardio-Nsg)