Vaneet K Sandhu, MD, FACR, RhMSUS, discusses how rheumatologists should persevere and collaborate with colleagues to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.


Vaneet K. Sandhu, MD, FACR, RhMSUS |
Vaneet K Sandhu, MD, FACR, RhMSUS, discusses how rheumatologists should persevere and collaborate with colleagues to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—At the annual meeting’s second Plenary Session, Saturday, Nov. 7, speakers highlighted phase 2 results of a potential new biologic for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as data on remission maintenance in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after withdrawal of etanercept or methotrexate. Phase 2 Trial of Monoclonal Antibody for Lupus (LILAC) Several converging…

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—Among the many ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of modern medicine is the emergence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition that shares many features of Kawasaki disease (KD). With this topic in mind, leading pediatric experts from around the world came together…

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In many ways, the current plethora of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis patients represents an embarrassment of riches. However, while many therapeutics approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are available, knowing the order in which to try these medications with patients can be quite challenging. In The Great Debate, held…

Mary Choy, PharmD, BCGP, FASHP |
The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted rheumatology clinics and practices all over the world. In the U.S., many providers have used telemedicine to expand access to care for their patients while managing in-person visits. Brett Smith, DO, who practices at the Blount Memorial Physicians Group, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Knoxville, spoke with The Rheumatologist about…

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—Moderated by Bill St.Clair, MD, MACR, an ACR past president and a professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., an abstract session on Friday, Nov. 6, focused on the diagnosis, manifestations and outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a focus on interstitial lung disease. RA with ILD Jeffrey…

ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—The ACR’s first fully virtual annual meeting kicked off on Thursday, Nov. 5. During the Opening Session, ACR President Ellen M. Gravallese, MD, talked about how the specialty’s response during the pandemic has provided great hope and will help rheumatology become an even more essential specialty. At the first Plenary Session on Friday,…

After a busy day in rheumatology, Polly Ferguson, MD, gets creative at a local arts center, making beautiful pottery pieces, a skill she has wanted to develop for nearly 30 years.

Acute gout can be very painful, causing patients to seek treatment in the emergency department. A retrospective study of pain interventions for gout in Rhode Island found that nearly 30% of patients received prescriptions for opioid medications over 30 months. Of these prescriptions, over 80% were for patients who had never been exposed to opioids…

The FDA is recommending pregnant women avoid using NSAIDs as early as week 20 of pregnancy due to the risk of kidney problems in a developing fetus.