Commentary and Observations from
the Medical Front Lines
Sign up to receive posts from The Exchange
CATEGORIES
Latest Rheumatology Articles on PCE's The Exchange
Do Traumatic Fractures Relate to Osteoporosis? Is a Paradigm Shift Coming?
Posted By: 
Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
May 01, 2020
A new study by Leslie and colleagues evaluating high and low trauma fractures may change our thought process regarding how traumatic fractures pertain to risk for future fracture in patients with osteoporosis. The authors of this registry study—using data from Manitoba, Canada over a twenty-year period—hypothesized that high trauma fracture would not predict an increased risk of fracture, but that low trauma fracture would. Surprisingly, the study showed higher r... Continue Reading
Filed under: Orthopedics, Rheumatology
Raynaud’s Phenomenon: A Common Sense Approach to Diagnosis and Management
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
December 27, 2019
Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is all too common in New England during the colder months of the year. In October, we often see patients return who ha... Continue Reading
Filed under: Miscellaneous, Rheumatology
Hydroxychloroquine Monitoring: A Common Drug Seen in Primary Care
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
October 25, 2019
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) has been a staple for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), and discoid lupus for many decade... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
Medical Marijuana, Fibromyalgia, and PTSD
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
August 23, 2019
Have you made up your mind about the use of medical marijuana in your practice? I haven't yet, but writing this posting has improved my knowledge of its use.... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
Lyme Arthritis—From High Index of Suspicion to Diagnosis and Treatment
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
August 20, 2019
An effusion of the knee(s) is the most common manifestation of Lyme arthritis, a late stage of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick involve... Continue Reading
Filed under: Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology
How Do Drug Pricing Systems Work? If There Is More Competition, Shouldn’t the List Price Go Down?
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
June 22, 2019
Have you ever noticed how much more expensive drug prices become every year? I think we have all noticed this increase, so this week I decided to look in to... Continue Reading
Filed under: Health Policy and Trends, Rheumatology
What is the Best Treatment for Painful Osteoporotic Compression Fractures of the Spine?
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
April 19, 2019
Pop quiz: What is the best method of treatment for osteoporotic compression fractures of the spine? Nonsurgical treatment (NST) Balloon kyphop... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
A View of Rheumatology From 31 Years And 30,000 Feet
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
April 16, 2019
The last 31 years of my PA career has been in the subspecialty of rheumatology. As I reflect on the changes in the field, I have become aware of the incredib... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
Expanding JAK Inhibitor Market for RA on the Horizon in 2019: “Which One Is the Best?”
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
March 22, 2019
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatments continue to improve outcomes in the latest clinical trials. At the 2018 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) meeting t... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
CARES Study Prompts FDA Boxed Warning on Febuxostat
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
March 19, 2019
On February 21, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a boxed warning on febuxostat. This was a result of the CARES study published in the Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
How Do You Make a Diagnosis of Gout Without Seeing MSU Crystals Under a Microscope?
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
February 22, 2019
Primary care/urgent care/emergency rooms are all settings where acute monoarthritis is seen. The differential diagnosis includes acute crystal arthritis (gou... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology
Is Long-term Survival Associated With the Use of Nitrogen-containing Bisphosphonates?
Posted By: Richard S. Pope, PA-C, MPAS
February 20, 2019
In the January issue of Osteoporosis International, there was an article entitled, “Mortality Risk Reduction Differs According to Bisphosphonate C... Continue Reading
Filed under: Rheumatology