Learning objectives and clinical implications
- Help students recognize early signs and symptoms of JIA in children, preventing misdiagnosis as trauma or infection.
- Provide understanding of the different clinical subtypes, which builds diagnostic reasoning skills.
- Train them to differentiate JIA from other pediatric joint disorders, improving clinical judgment.
- Highlight the importance of investigations (ESR, ANA, RF, HLA-B27, imaging) and their interpretation in clinical practice.
- Emphasize awareness of serious complications like uveitis and growth disturbances, stressing the need for vigilance.
- Familiarize them with the principles of management, including pharmacological and supportive therapy.
- Instill the concept of multidisciplinary care, showing how various specialties collaborate in chronic diseases.
- Reinforce the impact of early diagnosis and treatment on long-term outcomes and quality of life, linking classroom learning to patient care.