By using a principle- and evidence-based approach, physicians can improve patients' function and comfort and reduce their pain and disability..… Read More
Uncommon conditions and common conditions with uncommon presentations—test and sharpen your diagnostic skills with these challenging musculoskeletal cases..… Read More
An older woman was admitted with progressive shortness of breath and generalized weakness. The patient had a past medical history of hypertension, congestive heart failure (CHF), and hypercholesterolemia.
The effectiveness and safety of adalimumab in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were maintained through 5 years in a study that was reported recently in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The shared clinical features of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) that have the greatest discriminating power for FMS are the number of FMS-associated symptoms and tender point count.
An intervention that results in weight loss and improved fitness may slow the decline in mobility that often occurs with aging in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
Etanercept may be expected to provide the greatest American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response among the most frequently used anti–tumor necrosis factor α agents (adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab) compared with placebo in the treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who are unresponsive to conventional treatments.
The original antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) classification criteria (the Sapporo criteria), published in 1999, helped galvanize research in this disorder.1 New clinical, laboratory, and experimental insights gained since then were addressed at the Eleventh International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Sydney, Australia, in 2006.
The presence of crystals alone in synovial fluid in patients with acute monoarthritis cannot exclude infection, because septic arthritis and crystal arthritis often coexist.
New classification criteria for Sjögren syndrome released by the American College of Rheumatology call for collaboration among the medical specialties that regularly provide treatment for the condition--rheumatology, ophthalmology, and oral medicine.
The first-ever classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica, a common cause of widespread pain and stiffness in older patients, are designed to help physicians better identify patients who have this condition.
Thirty million Americans have used cocaine, making the United States the world’s largest consumer of the substance; there are about 5 million current users.
The sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility of the ClASsification criteria for Psoriatic ARthritis (CASPAR) are maintained when they are adapted for retrospective use to classify an established research cohort from medical records.
Fibromyalgia syndrome has been fraught with ambiguity in diagnosis, uncertainty in understanding of the pathophysiology behind its myriad symptoms, and difficulties that physicians face in managing it competently.
The spectrum of spondyloarthritis disorders—typically including ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and undifferentiated SpA—are related clinically and genetically but are distinct entities.
For patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), structured treatment programs in early arthritis clinics are more effective in improving activity and preventing major radiographic progression than nonprotocolized referral and follow-up. More »
Publication of the American College of Rheumatology recommendations for treating patients who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biologic and nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) had a minimal effect on prescribing practices. More »
Treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has undergone tremendous advances related to greater understanding of its pathophysiology and the introduction of effective disease-modifying medications. More »
Physician Performance Goals Are Great, But Balance Is More Realistic Jennifer Frank, MD, May 15, 2012 Performance measurements for physicians are well-intentioned and get me to rethink how I practice. But in the end I won't make the goals, so I'll have to go with balance over perfection.
Designing the Perfect Business Card for Your Medical Practice C. Noel Henley, MD, May 11, 2012 Does your business card say anything substantive about the valuable work you do in your practice? Here’s how to re-design your next business card for maximum impact and engagement.
Registered Nurses an Ideal Fit for Primary Care Practices Audrey "Christie" McLaughlin, RN, May 10, 2012 Here are four good reasons to hire a registered nurse for your primary care practice …maybe even instead of a medical assistant.
The Five Biggest Medical Practice Marketing Mistakes James Doulgeris, May 10, 2012 There are best practices to marketing your practice, but often, success is more about knowing what not to do. Here are the five most common pitfalls …and how to avoid them.
Can You Practice Medicine and Manage Your Practice? Rosemarie Nelson, May 9, 2012 Whether you practice alone, or in a group, if you're trying to see patients in this pay-for-volume environment and also run the business of your practice, you may be missing out on important opportunities.
