New research on complement activation in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis underscores its important role in the pathogenesis of this disease, an autoimmune condition defined by inflammation of small- and medium-caliber blood vessels.1 ANCA testing is commonly performed to help diagnose granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis, both of which are forms of ANCA-associated…
Our hospitals have had their finest hour in the care of acutely ill inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic, including dealing with allocation decisions fairly and transparently, maximizing good outcomes and remaining cognizant of the enduring ethics of healthcare. The honorable traditions of self-effacing conduct and acceptance of some level of personal risk by healthcare professionals…
Experts weigh in on sustaining telerheumatology as a viable practice tool by sharing its history, potential and regulatory outlook post-pandemic at ACR Convergence 2020.
When the first laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case was reported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 22, it was difficult to predict an ensuing global pandemic would last for more than half the year. Approximately one week after the initial CDC report, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) declared…
In a December 2019 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the implications of diagnostic error were explored through the story of two parents, both medical professionals, who sought a diagnosis for their sick child.1 Their son saw specialist after specialist and underwent repeated procedures, but for years was left without an explanation…
I have always been dissatisfied with the apparent dichotomy between researchers and clinicians; this is a false divide. Yes, research includes laboratory-based investigation, clinical trials, and retrospective and prospective studies of disease entities, among other pursuits. However, clinicians also contribute to research by sharing clinical data and through observations of their patients. Clinicians’ daily contributions…
A 61-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was hospitalized for a several-month history of progressively worsening left ankle pain and swelling. She had been unable to bear weight on her left leg for several days and did not notice improvement in symptoms with 20 mg of prednisone daily, which she…
Advocacy efforts on access and workforce issues in Florida are discussed.
As useful stand-ins for biologics targeting a range of inflammatory diseases, biosimilars have made significant inroads across Europe as less expensive alternatives. Denmark, for example, realized a cost savings of 64% after instituting a mandatory national switch from the originator infliximab to its biosimilar counterpart. In the U.S., however, a considerably smaller fraction of rheumatologists…
Ageism is defined as stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination against individuals on the basis of their age. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), 43% of all physicians and surgeons are 55 or older. Specialists are, on average, older than primary care doctors. In addition, around 30% of the current U.S. population is older than 55,…