Lung ultrasound may be a method to detect abnormal lung findings in a noninvasive manner in patients with SSc. Because of its high sensitivity, a low score almost rules out the need for an HRCT.
A PubMed search was carried out to track down articles published between February 2006 and February 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that encompassed patients with AAV were included. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2014-2015 online abstracts were also reviewed whether they were RTCs or not. Ten PubMed RCTs were analyzed along with eight ACR and four EULAR abstracts. RTX was not inferior to cyclophosphamide (CYC) for remission induction in AAV; it was superior to CYC in patients with relapsing disease and superior for remission maintenance in comparison with azathioprine (AZA). Rituximab is a therapeutic option to induce and maintain remission in patients with AAV.
The aim of this study was to ascertain the frequency of use, search intent (SI), level of accessibility, and degree of reliability of sources of information (SOIs) in rheumatology.
Methods:A survey among adult outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and spondyloarthritis was conducted. They were asked if they had procured information from 12 selected SOIs during the past year. Search intent was defined as the source they would like to consult. Accessibility and reliability were assessed through 0-to-10 scales (minimum and maximum, respectively).Results: Four hundred two patients were surveyed. They had consulted a median of 3 SOIs (interquartile range, 2-6) but described a higher SI: median of 5 SOIs (interquartile range 3-8); p = 0.001.The most consulted SOIs were the physician (83%), other patients (45%), and Facebook (36%). The main differences between SI and the searches actually performed were observed in community lectures by health care professionals (49%), scientific societies (48%), and associations of patients (27%); p < 0.001. These 3 sources showed low level of accessibility. Facebook, press, radio, and YouTube were the least reliable sources.Conclusions: Patients consulted a median of 3 SOIs but reported a significantly higher SI. Although patients demand more information, the request is leveled at SOIs with difficult accessibility but high reliability.
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