Search results for: hospital

Researchers Describe Controversial Study of Surgeon Training

Andrew M. Seaman | January 3, 2016

(Reuters Health)—Whether surgical trainees should be able to work long shifts is a matter of fierce debate, and the methods of a controversial study aimed at answering that question were outlined in a top surgical journal. The results won’t be available until February. In the meantime, critics of the study say it exposed residents and…

Original Sin—Researchers Look for Infectious Triggers of Rheumatic Disease & the Best Options to Block the Process

Susan Bernstein | December 29, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO—Two hundred years ago, physicians knew nothing about what caused various forms of arthritis. Today, we have more clues about what may trigger rheumatic diseases, but still can’t pinpoint the culprits that set scores of inflammatory conditions in motion. Researchers discussed some of the background and recent findings that point to what immunologists call…

New Blood Thinner ‘Antidote’ to Help Doctors Move Past Warfarin

Bill Berkrot | December 28, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters)—A new class of blood thinners that competes with widely used warfarin should get a boost next year when an “antidote” that can reverse the medications’ effects in an emergency is expected to enter the market, according to top U.S. heart doctors and investors. Xarelto, from Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson, and…

People with Schizophrenia at Higher Risk of Osteoporosis

David Douglas | December 27, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Pooled data indicate that bone mineral density (BMD) is significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls, according to Taiwanese researchers. Dr. Ping-Tao Tseng tells Reuters Health by email that the “evidence indicates the importance of further screening for the risk of osteoporosis in young-aged schizophrenic patients . . ….

Biologic DMARDs Prove Effective for Psoriatic Arthritis & Combination DMARDs Show Promise for RA

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | December 25, 2015

In clinical trials, ixekizumab and adalimumab proved safe and effective in treating adults with active psoriatic arthritis. Also, the combination therapy of certolizumab pegol plus methotrexate was more effective than placebo for treating severe RA…

Case Report: Sternoclavicular Erosions in a Patient with Uncontrolled RA

Diana M. Girnita, MD, PhD, Avis Ware, MD, Sangita Kapur, MD, & Christine Chhakchhuak, MD | December 17, 2015

Sternoclavicular joint involvement has rarely been reported in the context of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1 Traditionally, rheumatologists use serial radiographs of hands and feet to diagnose, monitor for progression or evaluate the response to treatment. The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is not a typical joint assessed for RA. However, the fact that it is a diarthrodial…

Air Pollution: Is There an Association with Rheumatic Disease?

Gavin R. Sun, MD, Sasha Bernatsky, MD, Gilaad G. Kaplan, MD, & Cheryl Barnabe, MD | December 17, 2015

Interactions between an individual’s genetic background and their exposure to environmental factors are thought to result in a cascade of immune reactions, ultimately leading to the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and juvenile dermatomyositis.1,2 For example, an environmental factor that conclusively affects susceptibility…

Looking Back on Rheumatology in 2015, Leaping Forward to the Year Ahead

Simon M. Helfgott, MD | December 16, 2015

My dear friends, we come to praise Caesar. As we march toward 2016, we ought to acknowledge the great Roman emperor’s role in creating a proper calendar. At the start of Caesar’s reign, the calendar year lasted 355 days, 10¼ days fewer than the time it took the earth to fully orbit the sun.1 Although…

Clues to Diagnosing, Managing Vanishing Aneurysms

Taral Parikh, MD, G.C. Yathish, MD, Parikshit Sagdeo, MD, Balakrishnan Canchi, MD, & Gurmeet Mangat, MD | December 16, 2015

Case report: A 27-year-old male was referred to the rheumatology outpatient department in February 2015 from the urology department after complaining of recent-onset uncontrolled hypertension (220/160 mmHg), headache and vomiting. In 2010, he was admitted to the urologist for sudden-onset left lumbar region pain and recent-onset hypertension. Clinical examination and the blood tests were normal….

How to Manage Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Mary Beth Nierengarten | December 16, 2015

Recognizing the need to provide guidance on the current disparate management of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), in collaboration with the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), recently published the first international set of recommendations for the screening, treatment and management of PMR.1,2 Specifically, the recommendations offer guidance on the use of…