Video: Every Case Tells a Story| Webinar: ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice

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Figure 2: High-resolution computed tomography showed evidence of interstitial lung disease.

High-resolution computed tomography shows evidence of ILD.

The ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice, a video
In collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the ACR released two new comprehensive guidelines aimed at improving the screening, monitoring, and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Recently, Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program and principal investigator for the guideline, and Elana J. Bernstein, MD, MSc, Florence Irving associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University, New York City, and co-first author, presented a webinar to talk about how the guidelines were developed and present some of the recommendations and their rationale: Watch the recording now!

 

FDA Officials Speak Out: New Approvals & Safety Concerns Discussed

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PHILADELPHIA—Officials from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration discussed recent drug approvals and drug safety issues at ACR Convergence in November in a session that captured the flurry of activity in the rheumatology sphere at the agency over the past year. Sabiha Khan, MD, clinical reviewer in the Division of Rheumatology and Transplant Medicine at…

Mitigating Drug Shortages: FDA Officials Say Communication Is Crucial

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PHILADELPHIA—The most vital component of avoiding drug shortages is early communication, officials from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) said in a session at ACR Convergence 2022 in November. “Early notification is key in order to prevent and mitigate shortages,” said Hyun Son, PharmD, a member of the Drug Shortage Staff with the FDA…

Advocacy Is Central to Patient Care, Distinguished Lecturer Says

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When she saw vaping taking hold at a middle school, Kamala Nola, PharmD, MS, spoke up about concerns for the students’ risk of rheumatic disease and other health issues. At ACR Convergence 2022, Dr. Nola emphasized that every healthcare professional can act as an advocate through everyday actions.

Are You Listening? Young Patient Advocates Call for Change

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PHILADELPHIA—Representatives of the Young Patients’ Autoimmune Research and Empowerment Alliance (YP AREA) led a panel titled Young Patients with Big Ideas Will Revolutionize Healthcare and Research, in which they discussed their work as advocates for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients. YP AREA’s mission is to make autoimmune research more accessible and inclusive by involving…

COVID-19 Vaccine Responses Among the Immunosuppressed

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PHILADELPHIA—Patients with rheumatic diseases often mount an adequate immune response after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, but that is not always the case, and certain medications make patients more prone to having an insufficient response, said Judith James, MD, PhD, chair, Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, at an ACR Convergence…

Contraception, Abortion & Rheumatic Disease after Dobbs

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PHILADELPHIA—As rheumatologists, we care for patients who may or may not want to become pregnant. We aren’t obstetricians or gynecologists, but several of the drugs we prescribe for active rheumatic disease can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes. It’s imperative we understand how to effectively counsel our patients with rheumatic disease on the risks and benefits of…

An Integrative Approach to the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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PHILADELPHIA—It is often the case that a holistic approach to the management of autoimmune disease is what patients are looking for and may indeed provide optimal care for these patients. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled ACR Guideline for Physical, Psychosocial, Mind-Body and Nutritional Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Integrative Approach to Treatment sought…

Pseudo-What? Exploring the Classification Criteria Development Process for CPPD

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PHILADELPHIA—The term pseudogout has been a source of confusion among rheumatologists, especially as our understanding of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition (CPPD) disease has become more nuanced. This condition has many complex and interesting facets that warrant closer investigation. An ACR Convergence 2022 session sought to update the audience on the progress to date in developing…

Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Updates on the ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria

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PHILADELPHIA—Ever since the seminal work of C. Lockard Conley, MD, in 1952 of the discovery of the lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been of great interest to rheumatologists, hematologists and many others. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled Draft ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria sought to summarize the rigorous process that went into…

Telehealth Brings Opportunities to Enhance Patient Care

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During an ACR webinar in August, presenters discussed multiple aspects of telehealth in rheumatology, especially related to rheumatology fellowship training. They agreed that although telehealth represents one potential avenue to improve patient access to treatment for rheumatic disease, we must keep identifying the best ways to employ telehealth to enhance care. Impact of Pandemic Telemedicine…