Development of a novel clinimetric tool: PAtient Reported Disease Activity Index in Rheumatoid Arthritis (PARDAI-RA) by PANLAR, for the assessment of patients living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Clinical experience has shown that a single measure is not sufficient to assess disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Various clinimetric tools are necessary to address the many clinical situations that can arise.

Methods: In order to develop a comprehensive measurement tool, the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology searched for the most frequent measures of disease activity applied in RA by means of a semi-systematic review of the available literature.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with rheumatic diseases in Latin America.

The objective of our study was to describe knowledge, attitudes and practices of Latin-American rheumatology patients regarding management and follow-up of their disease during COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a digital anonymous survey. Rheumatic patients ≥ 18 years from non-English-speaking PANLAR countries were included.

Rheumatology Training in Latin America: A Collaborative Study by the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology.

Background/objective: Demand for rheumatology care has steadily increased in recent years. The number of specialists in this field, however, seems insufficient. No recent studies have diagnosed the attributes of rheumatology training in Latin America.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Rheumatology Practice in Latin America.

Objective: To describe the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Latin American rheumatologists from a professional, economic, and occupational point of view.

Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey sent to rheumatologists of each non-English-speaking country member of the Pan American League of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR). A specific questionnaire was developed.

Design of an algorithm for the diagnostic approach of patients with joint pain.

Background: Rheumatic diseases are a reason for frequent consultation with primary care doctors. Unfortunately, there is a high percentage of misdiagnosis.

Objective: To design an algorithm to be used by primary care physicians to improve the diagnostic approach of the patient with joint pain, and thus improve the diagnostic capacity in four rheumatic diseases.

Gout in renal allograft recipients according to the pretransplant hyperuricemic status.

Background: Studies to date regarding hyperuricemia and gout in the postrenal transplant (RT) setting do not distinguish neither if patients with gout after the allograft had or did not have hyperuricemia before been transplanted nor if data concerning to hyperuricemia correspond to prevalent or incident cases. Among RT patients, we assessed (1) the incidence of gout in recipients with and without hyperuricemia pre-RT and (2) the incidence of hyperuricemia during the follow-up.

Methods: We selected from our RT registry (1989-2003) 236 subjects who were transplanted in our institution, with at least 1 year follow-up, without gout pre-RT, with at least one measurement of serum uric acid pre-RT and two post-RT.

Polyarticular arthritis secondary to Mycobacterium bovis infection: an unusual clinical presentation.

We describe a 37-year-old Mexican man with incapacitating polyarticular arthritis secondary to Mycobacterium bovis infection. A dermatologist diagnosed psoriasis two years before admission. One year later due to symmetric ankle and knee arthritis, he was treated with three doses of etanercept.