Managing inflammatory arthritides: Role of the nurse practitioner and physician assistant.

Purpose: To review the current management of the inflammatory arthritides, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. This review examines the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) and physician assistant (PA) in the management of these chronic diseases.

Data Sources: A review of the scientific literature and current guidelines regarding the management of inflammatory arthritides.

Open-label study of clarithromycin in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Objective: The macrolide family of antibiotics (erythromycin, clarithromycin, and others), have both antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. This study explored the effect of clarithromycin on the clinical course of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) in a 12-week open-label study.

Methods: The diagnosis of UCTD was based on symptoms/signs of connective tissue disease, and the presence of 1 or more positive autoimmune disease tests, but with insufficient criteria to make a definitive diagnosis.

Red blood cell transfusions and nosocomial infections in critically ill patients.

Objective: A previous retrospective evaluation of Project Impact data demonstrated an association between red blood cell transfusions, nosocomial infections, and poorer outcomes in critically ill patients, independent of survival probability or patient age. The objective of this study was to determine whether transfused patients, independent of survival probability based on Mortality Prediction Model scores, have higher nosocomial infection rates, longer intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, and higher mortality rates than nontransfused patients.

Design: Prospective, observational, cohort study.