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FEAR: A Perception of Fact In Spite of the Fiction
Pregnancy for patients with lupus has long been considered high risk and associated with both medical and obstetric complications, but outcomes have improved over the last 2 decades and continue to improve.
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – The End of Arthritis (9.13.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read ArticleNeed for Pre-operative Hyperglycemia Testing Prior to Total Joint Replacement
JAMA reports on a large Medicare cohort study showing that amongst patients undergoing total joint replacement (TJR), preoperative HbA1c testing was performed in 26% to 43% of patients with diabetes and in only 5% of those without diabetes. Importantly research has shown that an elevated HbA1c level is associated with postoperative complications.
Read ArticleWeight Loss Cuts Hospital Stays for Obese TKA Patients
Morbidly obese patients who lost 20 lbs before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) cut their hospital stays by about 1 day, and were 76% less likely to have an extended hospital stay, research showed.
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – Antibiotics Increase RA Risk (8.16.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reports the news and important journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read ArticleWar on RA - Part 3: Useless Drugs
We have options that are endless – we have 28 biologics in rheumatology; 19 approved for RA in the last 20 years, but 15 of these are me-too copies or biosimilars. We currently have 2 JAK inhibitors and may have 3 or 4 by year end. But what we really need is the right drug, at the right time, in the right patient – but how will we know.
Read ArticleJoint Surgery Rates Remain High in Psoriatic Arthritis
The incidence rate of joint surgery among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has remained persistently high, double that of the general population, according to a new Danish cohort study.
Read ArticlePartial or Total Knee Replacement for Osteoarthritis?
Lancet has reported on a clinical trial comparing total knee replacement (TKR) and partial knee replacement (PKR) in late-stage isolated medial compartment knee osteoarthritis patients finding that both TKR and PKR are equally effective, PKR should be considered the first, because of lower costs
Read ArticleMortality from Falls in the Elderly
JAMA reports that there is a trend of increasing mortality from falls in older US adults between 2000 to 2016 and that mortality rates are increased with increasing age.
Read ArticleStudy Looks at Opioid Use After Knee Surgery
A small study looked at whether reducing the number of opioid tablets prescribed after knee surgery would reduce postoperative use and if preoperative opioid-use education would reduce it even more
Read ArticleKnee Injuries Increases Osteoarthritis Risk
A systematic review of the medical literature shows anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), meniscus or combined ACL and meniscus injury significantly increases the risk of future knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – Medical Selfies (5.24.19)
Dr. Jack Cush Reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
Read ArticleSteroids, Not Biologics, Drive Arthroplasty Infections in RA
Medicare and Truven MarketScan administrative data study (2006 through 2015) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing arthroplasty found that while that the risks of perioperative infection was similar across biologics, the infection risk with glucocorticoid use, especially at
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – Take it Back Jack! (4.26.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast - Death and Surgery (2-22-19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com:
Read ArticleTKR - One or Two at a Time?
His would-be surgeon tried mightily to talk him out of a bilateral knee replacement. At 340 pounds, the patient's BMI -- above 43 -- was a significant contraindication.
Read ArticleHip Replacements Lasting 25 Years
Lancet reports that, based on a literature review and metanalysis, patients and surgeons can expect a hip replacement to last 25 years in around 58% of patients.
Read ArticleGuidelines Recommend Against Acromioplasty
Subacromial pain iacounts for up to 70% of shoulder pain. Patients may be diagnosed with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS), shoulder impingement, or rotator cuff disease and often end up in surgery.
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast - Scurvy and Mechanics (2-1-19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews new journal articles, news reports, and more from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read ArticleVertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Shown to Be Ineffective
There are approximately 750,000 new vertebral compression fractures each year in the United States, with resultant acute and chronic back pain in over one‐third of patients with vertebral fractures (VF). Both percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty have been advocated as useful m
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