Clinical rheumatology
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Clinical rheumatology · Mar 2020
Double positivity for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) and anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody could predict end-stage renal disease in ANCA-associated vasculitis: a monocentric pilot study.
To investigate the detection rate of double positivity for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody at diagnosis and its clinical implication during follow-up in Korean patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). ⋯ Double positivity for ANCA and anti-GBM at diagnosis were observed in 7.3% of AAV patients, and it could predict ESRD occurrence during follow-up in Korean patients with AAV.Key Points• 7.3% of AAV patients had double positivity for ANCA and anti-GBM at diagnosis (total n = 96)• Double positivity for ANCA and anti-GBM could predict ESRD occurrence during follow-up (HR 9.021, P = 0.004)• AAV patients with double positivity for ANCA and anti-GBM exhibited the lower cumulative ESRD-free survival rate compared with those without (P = 0.044).
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Clinical rheumatology · Mar 2020
Utilization of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
Biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) interfere with the immune system and could theoretically increase risk of malignancies. However, recent evidence has not substantiated such concerns and physicians are less reluctant in treating patients with underlying cancer with such bDMARDs. We aimed to understand the current utilization patterns of bDMARDs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in cancer patients. ⋯ The treatment landscape of patients with a history of cancer and RA is changing. Future studies evaluating the safety of bDMARDs in patients with a recent history of cancer or with active cancer are needed. Part of the data of this project was presented as a poster at the 2016 American College of Rheumatology annual meeting. Zamora NV, Siddhanamatha H, Barbo A, Tayar J, Lin H, Suarez-Almazor M. Utilization of Biologic Therapy in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer [abstract].Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016; 68 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/utilization-of-biologic-therapy-in-patients-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-and-cancer/. Accessed September 30, 2019. Key Points • One in four patients with RA and concomitant cancer received bDMARDs, including TNFi, after their cancer diagnosis, at our institution. • Half of the patients with RA and cancer who received bDMARDs had initiated therapy prior to the cancer diagnosis, continuing thereafter.
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Clinical rheumatology · Mar 2020
Multicenter StudyComparing the association of widespread pain, multi-joint pain and low back pain with measures of pain sensitization and function in people with knee osteoarthritis.
To compare 1. measures of pain sensitization (PS) in people with widespread pain (WSP), multi-joint pain, low back pain (LBP) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) only, in people with knee OA and 2. results of self-reported function and physical performance tests amongst these sub groups. ⋯ In patients with knee OA, those with WSP demonstrated greater degrees of PS compared with those with knee OA only, LBP and multi-joint pain. They also demonstrated a slower SCT compared with those with KOA only and LBP and decreased self-reported function compared with those with KOA only. These results should be confirmed in a longitudinal study.Key Points• In people with knee OA and widespread pain, measures of sensitization, self-reported function and physical performance were poorer compared with those with knee OA and LBP, knee OA and multi-joint pain or knee OA only.• Clinicians can consider these outcomes when planning management for these subgroups planning a comprehensive treatment program for this subgroup.
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Clinical rheumatology · Mar 2020
Teacher training for rheumatology fellows: a national needs assessment of fellows and program directors.
Teaching is an integral part of what we do as physicians, and exposure to training on how to effectively teach is not consistently implemented in the curricula within medical training. ⋯ There is significant need to develop effective fellow-as-teacher programs aimed at enhancing fellows' teaching skills, with focus on giving feedback and working within fellow and faculty time constraints. The program can help address a curriculum gap identified by fellows as well as PDs before fellowship-to-faculty transition.Key Points• There is a notable gap between faculty physicians' expectations to teach as clinician-educators and the lack of training dedicated to learning how to teach during medical training. Despite the fact that past clinical educators have identified instructional design and assessment as low-confidence areas, there is a paucity of structured program dedicated to developing these teaching skills during fellowship training.• With 97% fellows and 84% program directors, both groups agreed fellows could use additional instruction in teaching skills, but there was a significant discrepancy between fellow and program director perspectives regarding fellows' ability to give feedback.• Consistent with past needs assessments in other medical specialties, lack of time and potential faculty interest were recognized as potential barriers, calling for a structured training program dedicated to education on didactics that takes into account trainee and faculty time constraints.• Our needs assessment can direct future research on analyzing effectiveness of fellow-as-teacher program implementation by focusing on improvement of fellow teaching and feedback skills.