Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Dr. Kawasaki

Tomisaku Kawasaki, Pediatrician Who Discovered Disease That Bears His Name, Dies at 95

Renée Bacher  |  

Japanese pediatrician Tomisaku Kawasaki, MD, who identified an inflammatory syndrome that affects children, died on June 5 in Tokyo. He was 95. Tenacity & Attention to Detail Born Feb. 7, 1925, in Tokyo, Dr. Kawasaki graduated from medical school at what is now Chiba University in Chiba, Japan, in 1948 and worked as staff pediatrician…

More Evidence Links Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome to SARS-CoV-2

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Two new reports in JAMA strengthen the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS). Pediatricians from several communities have reported children who developed fever and multisystem inflammation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some children were critically ill and some had characteristics similar to Kawasaki disease or Kawasaki disease shock syndrome….

Lupus Nephritis: Understanding the Paradigm for Treatment

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ACR BEYOND LIVE—Among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus nephritis remains one of the leading causes of mortality, and patients with both SLE and end-stage renal disease demonstrate standardized mortality ratios higher than 60 times that of patients with SLE who have normal kidney function.1 Although the ACR Guidelines for Screening, Treatment, and Management…

Clinical Pearls: What We Know About Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

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ACR BEYOND LIVE—Much, if not all, of rheumatology relies on clinical interpretation of historical, laboratory and imaging information to formulate a coherent diagnosis and treatment plan—even when such information is incomplete or has multiple possible interpretations. One of the best examples of this situation pertains to nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), a condition that is just…

Preventing the Onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Is It Possible?

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ACR BEYOND LIVE—A moonshot concept in rheumatology has long been centered on the question of whether autoimmune disease can be cured. A less frequently posed inquiry, albeit equally important, is: Can the onset of autoimmune disease be prevented in the first place? At the 2020 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Kevin Deane, MD, PhD, associate professor…

After Hip Fracture, Earlier Osteoporosis Drug Initiation Tied to Lower Subsequent Fracture Risk

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Patients hospitalized for a hip fracture are less likely to experience a subsequent fracture-related hospitalization if they start anti-osteoporosis medication sooner, a Taiwanese study suggests.1 Researchers examined data on 77,930 patients aged 50 years and older hospitalized for hip fractures, including 9,986 people prescribed anti-osteoporosis medications within one year of the index fracture. Compared…

People with Rheumatic Diseases Should Pay Extra Attention to Self-Care During COVID-19

Carolyn Crist  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—People with rheumatic diseases should continue their medicines, monitor their health and avoid stress when possible during the current coronavirus pandemic, according to a group of rheumatologists in South Korea.1 Because rheumatic diseases are linked with chronic inflammation and abnormal immune functions, patients may be at a greater risk for COVID-19 infection,…

The ACR on Air Podcast’s COVID-19 Series

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In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the ACR has dedicated a few episodes of the ACR on Air podcast to the challenges that have arisen, along with information about the available resources and guidance. The first episode in this special series looks at drug shortages surrounding hydroxy­chloroquine (HCQ) and its initial uses to treat…