OBJECTIVES
To evaluate risk factors for severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases, stratified by systemic autoimmune conditions and chronic inflammatory arthritis.
METHODS
An observational, cross-sectional multicenter study was performed. Patients from 10 Rheumatology departments in Madrid who presented with SARS-CoV-2 infection between Feb 2020 and May 2021 were included. The main outcome was COVID-19 severity (hospital admission or mortality). Risk factors for severity were estimated, adjusting for covariates (sociodemographic, clinical and treatments), using logistic regression analyses.
RESULTS
523 patients with COVID-19 were included, among whom 192 (35.6%) patients required hospital admission and 38 (7.3%) died. Male gender, older age and comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity were associated with severe COVID-19. Corticosteroid doses over 10 mg/day, rituximab, sulfasalazine and mycophenolate use, were independently associated with worse outcomes. COVID-19 severity decreased over the different pandemic waves. Mortality was higher in the systemic autoimmune conditions (univariate analysis, p<0.001), although there were no differences in overall severity in the multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms and provides new insights regarding the harmful effects of corticosteroids, rituximab and other therapies (mycophenolate and sulfasalazine) in COVID-19. Methotrexate and anti-TNF therapy were not associated with worse outcomes.
BackgroundRaynaud's phenomenon (RP) is characterized by transient episodes of vasoconstriction of the arteries and arterioles of the extremities in response to cold or emotional stimuli. Depending on the severity of the vascular insult, it can cause superficial ulceration or deep-tissue necrosis. Pharmacological treatments aim to enhance blood flow but their efficacy is not uniform.ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin-A in the treatment of severe RP.MethodsWe present a series of 7 patients with RP with bad response to conventional pharmacological therapy that have been treated with local botulinum neurotoxin-A. Exclusion criteria included botulinum toxin allergy, active infection at the site of injection, previous digital sympathectomy and pregnancy.4 to 8 units of botulinum toxin-A were administered per point of injection depending on the degree of severity. Points of injection were located on the lateral and medial aspect of the base of the fingers, except the thumb. Prior to infiltration, obstructive pathology was ruled out by Doppler ultrasound; also, a nailfold capillaroscopy test was performed before and after the infiltration. Variables such as the number of episodes per day, pain during the episodes, recuperation time, finger color and presence of digital ulceration or necrosis have been studied baseline, 30 minutes, one week and one month after the infiltration.Follow up of 6 patients was performed with a 9 weeks median, being 18 weeks the maximum time registered. Patient 1 died due to a peritonitis 3 days after the study started.Results30 minutes after infiltration, three patients felt no improvement, two assessed slight improvement and two very important improvement. At the patients' one-week and thirty-days follow-up visits two patients did not perceive any change and four experienced great amelioration. Patients that did not register any change where those with fewer subjective clinical complaints and normal Doppler ultrasound and capillaroscopy tests.The variable with the most remarkable response was pain, with important pain decrease in all of the cases. Three patients presented digit ulcers at baseline visit; ulceration healing was noted in all of them, two of them one week after the injection and the other one, one month after.Three patients reported mild “weakness” after being injected and one reported slight thenar-eminence pain that lasted a few days. None of the patients suffered any systemic complications related to the toxin.ConclusionsBotulinum toxin-A is a safe and effective therapeutic option for patients with severe RP that have failed to conventional treatment.Disclosure of InterestNone declared
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