Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Staying Abreast of COVID-19
Dealing with unknowns is both difficult and frustrating, as the answer is often not within our reach. The current pandemic has created a tidal wave of unknowns, scaring patients and putting physicians in a difficult spot.
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RheumNow Podcast- COVID Siege (3.20.20)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the past week of COVID-19 news and advances.
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COVID-19 Rheumatology News
With the COVID-19 pandemic dynamically changing, we have provided several news items germane to the Rheumatologist.
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Rheumatic Disease Drugs and COVID-19
We are in the early stages of trying to limit the morbid and mortal consequences of the corona virus pandemic of 2020. Not surprisingly, the recommendations designed to limit exposure and damage continually highlight the fact that the elderly and immunosuppressed may be amongst the most severely affected should they become infected with this virus. This has led to a great deal of uncertainty by patients and providers about how rheumatic diseases and their treatments need to be specifically addressed.
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RheumNow Podcast- Corona Increases RA Risk (3.13.20)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Earlier Anakinra Initiation Warranted in Still's Disease
An Italian study examined the outcomes in adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) based on whether they received early or delayed treatment with anakinra (ANK). A total of 141 AOSD patients were retrospectively studied.
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Switching Biologics in JIA
While there are numerous agents approved for use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, little is know about actual use biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use or switching in the biologic era. A cohort comparison study has shown that after an unsuccessful trial of a first biologic, changing to a second TNFi is as effective as switching to a non-TNFi biologic.
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Goodwill Wednesday
Business as usual, Wednesday morning, as I quickly stop at 7-Eleven for my morning coffee and it all begins. A nice stranger holds the door open for me; I reach for a carton of milk for someone unable to; the cashier skips the 2 cents on a $2.02 bill (with a smile). What transpired in a quick five minutes was a series of random, unrelated, unprovoked acts of kindness. Blatant politeness, sincere smiles, compliments between strangers and lots of open doors. This made me think.
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Malignancies with Giant Cell Arteritis
The Journal of Rheumatology reports the findings of a Swedish population-based cohort study of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients showing that the overall risk for cancer was not increased; yet there appears to be an increased risk for leukemia and a decreased risk for breast and u
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EMA Final Recommendations on VTE Risk with Tofacitinib
On 14 November 2019 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that Xeljanz (tofacitinib) could increase the risk of blood clots in the lungs and in deep veins in patients who are already at high risk. These recommendations have been formally published and are intended for EU nation
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