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X-Rays Questioned for Diagnosing Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

MedPage Today

Routine hand and foot radiographs in more than 700 patients being evaluated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) made almost no difference in diagnosing the condition nor in predicting its course, Dutch researchers said.

Incidence, Microbiological Studies, and Factors Associated With Prosthetic Joint Infection After Total Knee Arthroplasty

A study of nearly 80,000 US veterans who underwent primary knee joint arthroplasty (TKA) showed  the incidence of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) was highest in the first 3 months and remained elevated through 12 months compared with 12 months or more after surgery.

ACR Reacts to 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

ACR

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) expressed concern that the conversion factor included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program final rule is insufficient to address rising inflation.

Anakinra Effective in Systemic JIA, Irrespective of HLA-DRB1 and IL1RN Variants

A prospective study of first line use anakinra in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) proved to be effective and without potentially allergic lung reactions.

Late Should Not Be Less (11.3.2023)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and regulatory approvals from the past week on RheumNow.com.

H. Zoster Subunit Vaccine Efficacy with JAK Inhibitor Therapy

JAK inhibitors are known to increase the risk of herpes zoster infections between between 3-5 fold.  Two recent reports suggest variable efficacy when JAK inhibitor (JAKi) treated patients are vaccinated with the recombinant herpes zoster subunit vaccine (RZV). 

Oral Surveillance Study Alters Practice at VA

Safety risks found in a postmarketing trial with the Janus-associated kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) appear to have influenced prescribing patterns across the class for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, researchers found.

Cardiovascular and Venous Thromboembolic Risk With JAK Inhibitor Treatment of Skin Disorders

A JAMA systematic review and meta-analysis has showed the use of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) in immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases was not associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), or venous thromboembolism (VTE) (compared to the placebo

Optimal Management of de Quervain Tenosynovitis

The treatment of de Quervain tenosynovitis (DQT) was examined  by systematic review in JAMA, suggesting that local (US-guided) corticosteroid injection plus a thumb spica immobilization was associated with significant pain-relieving and functional benefits. 

Fast track clinics -the future of PMR care?

Over the past year we have implemented a fast track clinic for PMR at our institution in Dublin. Patients are referred predominantly from primary care, and we aim to see patients within a one to two week window. Without a doubt, patient outcomes are far superior with the instigation of the fast track clinic as part of our service.

Choosing steroid sparing therapies in PMR

Despite the official recognition of PMR as a distinct disease more than 60 years ago, patients with PMR are still largely treated with steroids (glucocorticoids, mostly prednisone). The persistent broad use of glucocorticoids in PMR is related to their quick initial efficacy in the majority of patients with PMR, their low price and the lack of alternative treatments and paucity of glucocorticoid-sparing treatments.

Blinkers and the Unseen Information Gap in PMR

In my earlier blog, PMR: glad or bad tidings? I mentioned our PMR Voices 2021 public engagement project. This project brought home to me as a physician that although our expertise is essential, one unfortunate side-effect is that our very expertise can give us “blinkers”. One result of our “blinkers” is that we may fail to see the extent of the information gap between us and our patients with newly-diagnosed PMR. 
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