Which of the following is an older DMARD used infrequently for RA?

Which of the following is an older DMARD used infrequently for RA?

• A. Methotrexate
• B. Leflunomide
• C. Adalimumab
• D. Gold Salts

Answer: (D)

Gold salts are an older DMARD class once used for RA but now infrequently employed because of their toxicity and the availability of safer, more effective options. They are administered by injection and can cause dermatitis and mucocutaneous reactions, nephrotoxicity with proteinuria, cytopenias, and liver enzyme abnormalities; benefit often appears slowly, necessitating long-term monitoring. In contrast, methotrexate and leflunomide remain standard conventional DMARDs, and adalimumab is a widely used biologic DMARD, so gold salts no longer fit as a preferred, contemporary choice.

Gold salts are an older DMARD class once used for RA but now infrequently employed because of their toxicity and the availability of safer, more effective options. They are administered by injection and can cause dermatitis and mucocutaneous reactions, nephrotoxicity with proteinuria, cytopenias, and liver enzyme abnormalities; benefit often appears slowly, necessitating long-term monitoring. In contrast, methotrexate and leflunomide remain standard conventional DMARDs, and adalimumab is a widely used biologic DMARD, so gold salts no longer fit as a preferred, contemporary choice.