Economics

Hydroxychloroquine Improves Survival in Lupus

Save

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has dominated the news in recent weeks, because of poor outcomes reported when used in COVID patients. Yet, a recent report reaffirms what rheumatologists have known for years - that HCQ use is associated with better outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus, including

Low Risk of COVID-19 Pneumonia in Rheumatic Patients

Save

A current letter in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease details the rheumatic disease patient cohort outcomes from the University of Siena, Italy showing only 2 cases of COVID-19 among 859 patients treated with tsDMARDs and bDMARDs.

TNR - COVID-Rheumatology Registry & COVID in OZ

Save

This week's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology features presentations and interviews with Drs. Peter Nash and Philip Robinson. Dr. Robinson presents latest data on the Rheum-Covid.org Registry, that he helped establish under the Global Rheumatology Alliance. Dr. Nash presents the impact of COVID in

RheumNow Podcast - COVID Kids and Men (5.15.20)

Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

RheumNow Podcast – The Beat Goes On (5.8.20)

Save

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

Physical Activity Prevents Hospitalization

Save

Modifiable lifestyle choices can impact long term health.  A recent study shows that usual and increased physical activity can results in less hospitalization amongst the the general population.

Hydroxychloroquine's World of Confusion - What you Need to Know

Save

Hydroxychloroquine has been a dominant news item since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, with a great deal of misconceptions by those who don't know or use or take the drug. HCQ leaped to the headlines on March 19th when President Trump endorsed the drug as being “approved” by FDA. Of course at

German Society of Rheumatology COVID Pandemic Recommendations

Save

The Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published the preliminary recommendations of the German Society of Rheumatology for the management of Inflammatory rheumatic diseases patients during the SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 pandemic.

These preliminary recommendations are based on an expert consensus from 17

RheumNow Podcast – In Times of Trouble (4.24.20)

Save

Dr Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports, twitter feed and COVID developments from the past week on RheumNow.com

FDA Consumer Warnings on Cannabis and CBD

Save

The FDA issued a new consumer update on what you need to know about Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD. This is part of the FDA effort to answer questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, particularly CBD

TNR Grand Rounds - Moving Forward with Telemedicine

Save

Dr. Alvin Wells gives a primer on Telerheumatology and Telemedicine in the era of COVID-19. This 1 hour Grand Rounds Presentation includes a 30 minute lecture, followed by stimulating 30 minutes of Q&A with a rheumatology attendee audience.

Physical Therapy Superior to Steroid Injection for Knee OA

Save

Treatment options for painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) are numerous, but comparative outcomes are seldom available. A NEJM report shows that physical therapy is superior to intraarticular glucocorticoids injections assessing the outcomes 12 months after the intervention. 

This

NICE Guidelines on Managing Rheumatologic Conditions During COVID-19 Pandemic

Save

On April 3rd, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, published a rapid guideline for managing children and adults with rheumatological autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic bone disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, while protecting staff from infection.

The Immunologic Basis of Wellness in the COVID-19 Era

Save

We indeed are living in interesting times and we all are seeking not to contract COVID-19 - this is logical. While our goal is to avoid infection, I think we all must agree that our aspirations must encompass more than disease avoidance. What we should be seeking now, as well, is more than

RheumNow Podcast – Pandemic Numbers (4.3.20)

Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news on COVID-19 and FDA actions this past week. Be sure to check out:

RheumNow Podcast – New World Order (3.27.20)

Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and COVID developments from this past week.

Global Rheumatology Alliance Registry Will Study COVID-19

Save

In the midst of a global pandemic of the 2019 Novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), a small handful of Rheumatologists gathered on social media to collectively grapple with the impact of this virus on vulnerable populations with rheumatic disease.

Infusions in the Time of Coronavirus

Save

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. After years of bemoaning the challenges of telemedicine, our rheumatology clinic transition entirely to a remote clinic in the space of a week. One of the few good things to come out of this crisis is that we may learn that in-person visits

Hospitalized GPA - Higher morbidity, Mortality and Cost

Save

Rheumatology reports on a study of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) showing worse outcomes and higher costs when hospitalized with GPA.

GPA patients were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and were compared to those without GPA with regard to

Primary Care Visits Decline 2008-2016

Save

A national claims-based analysis has shown a consistent decline, by commercially insured adults (18-64 yrs), in primary care physician visits from 2008 to 2016; with nearly one half having no PCP visits in a given year by 2016. 

Efforts to contain costs and improve clinical outcomes

Overmedication of America

Save

Recent research from the Lown Institute reports that 750 older Americans are hospitalized daily because of serious side effects from and the core problem is that of polypharmacy, especially in the elderly. 

DMARD Inertia by Registry Rheumatologists

Save

A registry study of metric use (primarily RAPID3 and CDAI) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients shows that, even in the face of moderate or high disease activity, treatment changes by rheumatologists were relatively low (35.6–54.6%).

Researchers used data from the ACR

Limited Advantage to Very Early vs. Delayed Etanercept in RA

Save

The VEDERA study sought to confirm whether the very early introduction of first-line etanercept+methotrexate (ETN+MTX) was superior to treat-to-target MTX (MTX-TT) in patients with early RA.

The study enrolled 120  treatment-naïve seropositive ERA (≤12 months symptom) patients with

Half of Opioids Rx Come from 1% of MDs

Save

The BMJ reports that while most US providers are cautious in their prescribing, half of opioid prescriptions are written by 1% of providers.

Between 2003 and 2017, there was an annual average of 669495 providers prescribing 8.9 million opioid prescriptions.

In 2017, 1% of

Knee Replacements Last 25 Years

Save

UK registry reports that greater than 80% of total knee replacements can last for 25 years.

The outcomes regarding the duration and durability of knee arthroplasties is sketchy, with many orthopedists projecting a 15 to 20 year survivial. Hence the need for an appraisal of the data.