Jane’s* hands and wrists had been swollen and painful for about eight weeks. Lab findings in the ambulatory consult that came to our office revealed a cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody count >250 u/mL. We all know where this story goes, including how important the early treatment window is. Our clinic reviews all consults and tries…
ACR volunteer leaders and staff will convene more than 100 meetings via teleconference with Congressional leaders on May 22, addressing rheumatology provider solvency and patient access to care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Baricitinib, an oral JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor approved to treat RA in adults, is being investigated as a possible treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19…
A retrospective study found serum interleukin 6 levels at the onset of IgG4-RD may significantly correlate with clinical inflammatory parameters and the involvement of the bile duct, liver and spleen…
Editor’s note: We are sad to announce that we have learned of the passing of Dr. Philip C. Robinson. We will share more as it becomes available, but in the meantime, we wanted to repost this article he wrote for The Rheumatologist early in the pandemic. Dr. Robinson also took the photo of the full-arc rainbow below.
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is rescinding changes to its Orencia policy previously scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2020. These changes would have required patients to fail to respond to the self-administered formulation of the drug prior to obtaining authorization for the physician-administered product. Some patients on Orencia received notices from UHC in late April stating…
(Reuters Health)—Patient portals at U.S. hospitals leave a lot to be desired in terms of privacy when individuals want to share access with an informal caregiver, a new study finds. At nearly half of 102 hospitals included in the study, personnel advised that patients share their account password to give access to a family member…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Potentially dangerous prolongation of the QT interval is common among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who receive hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with or without concomitant azithromycin, according to two new studies. “This is a well-known problem with HCQ and azithromycin, which became amplified in this higher risk population,” Christina F. Yen, MD, from Beth Israel…
A collection of compelling interviews conducted with rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals focusing on their experiences thus far in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is disrupting patient care all over the world. In the U.S., many providers have had to adapt to new social distancing measures to care for patients, but struggles remain. Mark J. Sinnett, PharmD, FASHP, director of clinical and educational pharmacy services and director of the Center for Pharmacotherapy Research…