Pathologists are legendary for blending their work product with the culinary arts. Through the years, their use of delectable foods as descriptors has created a clever way to indelibly link in the minds of clinicians the histopathologic observations of disease with an assortment of these tasty foods: There is the depiction of an apple green…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Temporarily withholding methotrexate (MTX) can improve the efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new randomized clinical trial. Response was strongest in patients who discontinued MTX for two weeks before and two weeks after receiving the flu shot, Dr. Eun Bong Lee of Seoul National…
Quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI) work makes sense to focus on. However, finding the time and resources for QI projects is not always easy. Until now, the business case for QI in rheumatology practice has not always been clear. However, this is changing with implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA)…
Throughout their training and practice, physicians become adept at pattern recognition as a means to efficiently connect and synthesize seemingly disparate laboratory, physical exam, and radiologic and historical findings into a coherent theory for what likely ails the patient sitting in front of them. This inductive method of reasoning is necessary because, based on these…
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” —W. Edwards Deming For practices to survive, change is a requirement—not an option—in the rapidly evolving practice of rheumatology care. Pharmaceutical therapies are advancing quickly, opening the door for game-changing therapies in the treatment of chronic autoimmune disorders. With these advances comes a need for…
Rheumatologists are accustomed to educating patients about medications—but biologic medications require some additional time and discussion. “Biologics are inherently more complex [than other medications], and there are multiple issues to consider before initiating treatment,” says K. “Kwas” Huston, MD, The Center for Rheumatic Disease, Kansas City, Mo. “This includes the patient’s disease activity, prior medications…
Herpes zoster (HZ) infection, also known as shingles, is caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus infection generally acquired decades earlier. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the incidence of stroke immediately following HZ infection is increased in patients with autoimmune diseases compared with the incidence of stroke at later time points. Results: In patients with autoimmune diseases, incident HZ was associated with as much as a twofold increased risk of stroke. Prompt antiviral therapy was associated with lower incidence of subsequent stroke…
EULAR has updated its recommendations for the management of early arthritis, outlining aspects of diagnosis and drug treatments…
Wash your hands. This most basic tenet of proper hygiene has been drummed into our heads for years. It’s an obvious infection prevention activity, yet for years, compliance among physicians and other caregivers has been lackluster. To rectify this matter, regulatory agencies began auditing hospital staff adherence to this axiom of infection prevention. Not only…
The transition from pediatric to adult care can be a rocky one. For many rheumatology patients, any problems in the move can cause gaps in care. To address this issue, the ACR joined the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) Pediatric to Adult Care Transitions Initiative. The Initiative is a project spearheaded by the ACP’s Council…