(Reuters)—Pfizer Inc. said on June 16 its oral rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib) reduced death or respiratory failure in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with pneumonia in Brazil, meeting the study’s main goal. Results of the study, which tested the drug in 289 hospitalized adult patients with the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, were published…
Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis Tied to Arrhythmias in Young, Middle-Aged Adults
(Reuters Health)—Young and middle-aged adults with polymyositis-dermatomyositis are more likely to have arrhythmias in general, and supraventricular arrhythmias in particular, than matched controls without these rare rheumatic conditions, a U.S. study suggests.1 Researchers examined retrospective data on adults hospitalized between 2016 and 2018, including 32,085 patients with polymyositis-dermatomyositis and 320,850 age-matched controls. Overall, both women…
Rituximab Seems Safe & Effective for Systemic Sclerosis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Rituximab seemed to be a safe and effective treatment for systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a placebo-controlled validation trial in Japan.1 “A number of studies have examined B-cell depletion therapy for systemic sclerosis, and many of them have suggested that [this] is effective in treating systemic sclerosis,” Ayumi Yoshizaki, MD, tells Reuters Health…
Are Medicare Beneficiaries with Knee OA Receiving Enough Conservative Care?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Non-surgical care for knee osteoarthritis (OA) is uncommon among older adults, especially in regions of the U.S. where total knee arthroplasty rates are high, a large retrospective analysis shows.1 “As rheumatologists, we often think of knee arthroplasty as the last resort, after patients have tried and failed more conservative treatments, such as…
Bipartisan DXA Bill Under Consideration in Congress
The Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act would set a $98 floor for Medicare reimbursement for the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density test.
Town Hall Provides Tools to Guide Patients Unsure About COVID-19 Vaccination
The ACR’s May 13 virtual town hall highlighted effective approaches rheumatology providers can take to convince patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Coding & Reimbursement Guidelines for Interprofessional Consultation Codes
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99446–99449 were created in 2014 to capture the time spent by a consultant who is not in direct contact with the patient at the time of service. An interprofessional telephone/internet consultation (ITC) is defined as an assessment and management service in which a patient’s treating provider (e.g., primary or qualified…
Higher Risk of Adverse Events When Biologic Infusions Are Done at Home
(Reuters Health)—Patients who receive biologic infusions at home may have a higher risk of adverse events than those who receive the infusions at a health care facility, a new study suggests.1 Researchers examined administrative claims data on 57,220 adults who received a total of 752,150 biologic infusions for immune-mediated disease between 2007 and 2017. The…
Rheum After 5: Dr. Eric Schned Shares Memories of Woodstock
When Eric S. Schned, MD, was 19 years old, he spotted a tiny ad in his local newspaper for a concert. As days and weeks passed, the ad grew bigger as bands were added to the lineup. He, his twin brother and two friends decided the concert “looked really cool” and purchased tickets. That may…
Case Report: Child Develops Coronary Artery Aneurysms with GPA
In September 2019, a previously healthy, 9-year-old white girl presented to the emergency department following two months of sinusitis and unexplained fever responsive to ibuprofen. She presented with anorexia; a 9 lb. weight loss; intermittent, nonbilious, nonbloody emesis; and occasional epistaxis with digital manipulation of the nose. Six weeks prior to admission, she had presented to…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 143
- 144
- 145
- 146
- 147
- …
- 816
- Next Page »