Characteristics and outcome of critically ill patients with systemic rheumatic diseases referred to the intensive care unit.

Objectives: Patients with systemic rheumatic diseases (SRDs) are at risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Data concerning these critically ill patients are limited to few retrospective studies.

Methods: This is a single-centre retrospective study of patients with SRDs admitted to an ICU at the Vienna General Hospital between 2012 and 2020.

A Case of Autoimmune Small Fiber Neuropathy as Possible Post COVID Sequelae.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is reported to induce and augment autoimmune processes. Moreover, postinfectious effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are still poorly understood and often resemble symptoms of the acute infection phase. A patient with swollen extremities was presented to the Department of Angiology at the Medical University of Vienna with complaints of muscle and joint pain, paresthesia, and arterial hypertension with intense headache.

COVID-19 as a putative trigger of anti-MDA5-associated dermatomyositis with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring lung transplantation, a case report.

Background: Autoimmune disease following COVID-19 has been studied intensely since the beginning of the pandemic. Growing evidence indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection, by virtue of molecular mimicry can lead to an antigen-mediated cross-reaction promoting the development of a plethora of autoimmune spectrum diseases involving lungs and extrapulmonary tissues alike. In both COVID-19 and autoimmune disease, the immune self-tolerance breaks, leading to an overreaction of the immune system with production of a variety of autoantibodies, sharing similarities in clinical manifestation, laboratory, imaging, and pathology findings.

Rheumatological care in rural areas : The Rheuma-Bus project 2018.

Objective: To explore the medical care of individuals in rural areas during a public health awareness project on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).

Methods: A tour bus was adapted to accommodate rheumatological consultations at widely accessible sites in 16 towns, providing individual medical advice with respect to MSD. The participating rheumatologists assessed the nature (e.

The Supply of Rheumatology Specialist Care in Real Life. Results of a Nationwide Survey and Analysis of Supply and Needs.

To study the balance between the supply and need for rheumatology care in Austria. In addition, to investigate rheumatologists' work-hours, the amount of time rheumatologists dedicate to care for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD), with non-RMD problems, and other professional activities such as research, teaching, and administration. A questionnaire covering aspects of professional activities was sent to all 215 rheumatologists registered with the Austrian Medical Association.