Search results for: knee

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Coding for Acute Flare of Idiopathic Gout

From the College | December 17, 2015

Take the challenge. M10.072—Acute gout has an Excludes 1 note of chronic gout (M1A.-). This means that acute gout and chronic gout cannot be coded for the same encounter, as the codes are mutually exclusive. M45.6—The patient is diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar region. M81.8—Other osteoporosis without current pathological fracture. M79.622—The patient has…

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…

Best Practices for Treating Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Emma W. White, PT, DPT, OCS, & Andy Bonin, MD | December 16, 2015

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons for physician appointments. However, treatment results remain suboptimal, resulting in high rates of chronic pain, narcotic usage, surgery, depression and disability—all at great cost to individuals and the nation. One reason for this is the current practice of grouping all low back pain patients…

Exercise Helps Manage Hip Osteoarthritis Pain

Kathryn Doyle | December 12, 2015

(Reuters Health)—Water- or land-based exercise should provide some short-term benefit in pain management for hip osteoarthritis, though there are few well-designed trials testing it, according to a new review. “It is nice to finally have some hip-specific data, as hip and knee osteoarthritis are often grouped together, and it’s almost certain that there are differences…

FDA Approves 2 Pain Drugs & New Gout Treatment on Road to Approval

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | November 18, 2015

The FDA has approved two drugs designed to manage pain: buprenorphine for chronic pain and meloxicam capsules for OA pain. Lesurinad is also closer to FDA approval for treating gout…

Rheumatology Research Foundation Scholarships Help Students Attend ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Thomas R. Collins | November 17, 2015

Seven students pursuing rheumatology-related careers will head to San Francisco in November on a Student and Resident ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Scholarship—awards that are open to students and residents from states that are underserved by rheumatology professionals. The Rheumatology Research Foundation has awarded the students $750–1,500 toward travel expenses and registration for the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting,…

Rheumatologist Steven S. Overman Reflects on His Last Day of Practice, Future of Specialty

Steven S. Overman, MD, MPH • illustrations by Alice C. Gray | November 16, 2015

I am a few weeks post-retirement. Having written thank you notes and completed urgent home projects, I swing in a hammock at our currently fire-threatened cabin north of Winthrop, Wash., and reflect. I feel like a young boy while freely flipping pages of a hand-scribed picture book, The Principles of Uncertainty, by Maira Kalman. She…

Fellows’ Forum Case Report: Palmar Fasciitis & Polyarthritis Syndrome

Naveen Raj, DO, MPH, Marc Kesselman, DO, & Barry Waters, MD | November 16, 2015

Case report: A 78-year-old Caucasian female presented to our outpatient rheumatology clinic with pain in her bilateral shoulders, hands and knees that began suddenly one month earlier. She admitted to stiffness in her hands lasting several hours, and expressed an inability to extend her fingers. She denied fever, rashes, jaw claudication, headache or visual changes….

Use of Unspecified Codes in ICD-10: What You Need to Know

From the College | October 21, 2015

The ACR Practice Management and Coding department will periodically update the membership on the new ICD-10 coding guidelines and conventions to assist practices with accurate billing. Our top question during the first week of ICD-10 implementation was on the use of unspecified codes…

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: A Valuable Tool for Diagnosing Rheumatic Illnesses

Khushboo Sheth, MBBS, & Christopher Scola, MD | October 15, 2015

Musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound is a valuable imaging modality for the practicing rheumatologist and provides an efficient tool with high diagnostic value in the evaluation of patients with musculoskeletal complaints. The use of MSK ultrasound has evolved in the U.S. due to the emergence of less-expensive, portable ultrasound units, which provide high-quality gray-scale and power Doppler…