Clinical Science sessions full of new guidelines

Several updated guidelines will highlight the Clinical Science program at ACR Convergence 2022.

“It’s an exciting program that will be appealing to attendees across the board,” said Zsuzsanna H. McMahan, MD, MHS, chair of the Clinical Science program. “We have representation in content from across the field of rheumatology—everything from updates on diagnosis and management; to more creative ways of looking at more nuanced topics; to the integration of environmental challenges and needs, such as COVID-19 and diversity, equity, and inclusion, into the practice of rheumatology.”

The first among the updated guidelines and criteria being presented in Philadelphia are the ACR Guidelines for Vaccination in Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, November 12, in Exhibit Hall A of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Special vaccination considerations are needed for this population because so many rheumatology patients are on immunosuppressive therapy, which can affect the timing of and response to vaccines, Dr. McMahan said.

On Sunday, November 13, at 4:30 p.m. ET in Exhibit Hall A, one of the first sets of guidelines for a more integrative approach to rheumatoid arthritis therapy will be presented in 2022 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guideline for Exercise, Rehabilitation, Diet, and Additional Integrative Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis. The same day, Draft ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria will begin at 3 p.m. ET in Terrace Ballroom II and III. On Monday, November 14, The Newly Drafted ACR/EULAR Classification Criteria for Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease (CPPD) will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET in Terrace Ballroom I.

“The presentation of these CPPD criteria is exciting because these are the first validated criteria to be developed for this common condition, and they integrate clinical and laboratory and imaging findings to make it the most updated classification possible,” Dr. McMahan said.

Updated American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Prevention and Treatment of Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis will be discussed at 9 a.m. ET Monday, November 14, in Ballroom AB.

“This topic is really significant for most rheumatologists who utilize steroids as a supplement to manage patients with active disease,” Dr. McMahan said. “The guidelines were last updated in 2017, and the new guidelines are different because they will address all current FDA-approved medications for osteoporosis and their uses in combination and sequential therapies.”

Popular activities returning to the program include Curbside Consults, Adult Thieves Market, Knowledge Bowl, and The Great Debate, although the latter will take on a new format. In the debate, at 10:30 a.m. ET in Ballroom AB on Sunday, November 13, two teams of two will present opposing viewpoints on whether to treat subclinical RA.

Anatomy for the Clinician sessions will explore how to identify inflammation, crystals, and injuries of the elbow (Not a Laughing Matter: Anatomy of the Funny Bone, 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 12, in Room 103) and ankle (Ankle Deep: Approach to Anatomy & Diagnosis, 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 13, in Room 113) clinically and via ultrasound.

State-of-the-Art lectures will discuss biomarkers for lupus (Lupus State of the Art: Biomarkers, Genetics and Phenotyping, 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 12, in Terrace Ballroom I) and Janus kinase inhibitors (The Jury on JAKs: JAK Inhibitors’ Future in Rheumatic Diseases, 12 p.m. ET on Monday, November 14, in Terrace Ballroom II and III).

“Physicians and health practitioners who see patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases will all benefit from the Clinical Science program, whether it’s physicians from the community, academics, or people who conduct clinical research. Fellows and residents will enjoy many of these sessions, too,” Dr. McMahan said.

Other Clinical Science program sessions highlighted by Dr. McMahan include:

CARE: Clinical Pearls: Myositis
Saturday, November 12 | 11 a.m.–12:45 p.m. ET | Terrace Ballroom II & III
Speakers will address the management of myositis, including pharmacological treatment and physical/pulmonary rehabilitation. Speakers will review specific autoantibodies and their associated syndromes, including anti-synthetase, dermatomyositis, and necrotizing myopathy.

Development of Proposed Classification Criteria for Pediatric Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis (CNO) and Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO)
Saturday, November 12 | 12–1 p.m. ET | Room 122
This session will outline the process of developing and validating pediatric CNO classification criteria and the rationale for selection of the final items. Speakers also will address the implications of the CNO classification criteria for research, as well as for other rare diseases.

Dignity and Respect: How to Welcome and Care for Gender Diverse Patients in Your Practice
Saturday, November 12 | 12–1 p.m. ET | Room 119
This session aims to increase providers’ knowledge and understanding of appropriate terminology, language, and expression to ensure respectful, safe, and inclusive communication with LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Food for Thought: DATA for the Impact of Nutrition on Rheumatic Disease
Saturday, November 12 | 12–1 p.m. ET | Ballroom AB
Speakers will provide insight into dietary interventions for rheumatic disease and optimal practices for counseling patients on nutrition and food as part of their treatment plans.

Purple Peripheries: Vasculopathy vs. Vasculitis
Saturday, November 12 | 3–4 p.m. ET | Room 113
Presenters will give an overview of how to differentiate vasculopathic and vasculitic processes and once diagnosed, how to manage these conditions.

COVID “Lemonade”: Lessons Beyond the Disruption of the Pandemic
Sunday, November 13 | 12– 1 p.m. ET | Room 113
Speakers will discuss unique considerations for vaccines in immunosuppressed patients, vaccine efficacy in patients with rheumatic diseases, and vascular manifestations of COVID-19.

ACR/AAHKS Guideline: When to Proceed to THA/TKA and When to Continue Conservative Therapy
Sunday, November 13 | 3–3:45 p.m. ET | Exhibit Hall A
Presentations will focus on the potential challenges in caring for patients with osteoarthritis and how to overcome them. New research data will be shared on improving the quality of care of patients with degenerative diseases of the knee or hip.

Rheumatology Research Foundation Memorial Lecture to Honor William R. Palmer, MD, MACR: CARE: Clinical Pearls: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sunday, November 13 | 3–4 p.m. ET | Terrace Ballroom IV
This session will address multimodal pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment of RA, optimization of care for early RA, and treatment-resistant RA.

Informative and Critical Peer Review for the ACR Journals: A Guide to Providing Excellent Peer Review of Manuscripts
Monday, November 14 | 5–6 p.m. ET | Room 126
This practical session is a guide to providing quality peer review for manuscripts. It also will help attendees to more effectively assess their own manuscripts prior to submission.