scholarly journals POS0275-HPR CONCORDANCE BETWEEN THE PHYSICIAN’S AND THE NURSE’S ASSESSMENT OF DISEASE ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS USING DAS-28, CDAI AND SDAI IN SEVEN MIDDLE EASTERN ARAB COUNTRIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 361-362
Author(s):  
N. Ziade ◽  
B. Zorkany ◽  
S. Al Emadi ◽  
M. Abu Jbara ◽  
H. Halabi ◽  
...  

Background:Managing patients with chronic rheumatic diseases is increasingly relying on the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team, including the rheumatology nurse who can aid assessment of disease activity among other healthcare tasks.However, this practice, although common in Europe and North America, is still poorly implemented in the Middle eastern Arab countries (MEAC).Objectives:To evaluate the concordance between the physician’s and the nurse’s assessment of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the MEAC.Methods:During a routine patient visit to one of 9 rheumatology clinics located in 7 Middle Eastern Arab countries, the physician and the rheumatology nurse (who was already working in the clinic) performed the disease activity score 28 (DAS), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) in a blinded manner. The concordance regarding the 3 continuous scores was calculated using paired t-test. The agreement between physician- and nurse-DAS categories (remission, low, moderate and high disease activity) was calculated using weighted kappa for category comparison. Predictive factors of positive concordance between physician- and nurse-DAS were identified using binary logistic regression.Results:The study included 373 patients’ measurements over a period of two years (2018 to 2019). The mean age of the patients was 49.6 years (±28.2), 82.6% were females, and the mean disease duration was 11.3 years (±7.5).The mean physician-DAS was slightly higher (3.97 (±1.52)) than the nurse-DAS (3.90 (±1.54)) (p=0.002), with a mean difference of +0.08 [95%CI 0.03; 0.12] (Table 1). The difference in the DAS individual items, the CDAI and the SDAI were not statistically significant.Table 1.Comparison of the disease activity measures reported by the physician and by the nurse.PhysicianNursep-valueTotal Joint Count4.87 (2.26)5.02 (6.20)0.152Swollen Joint Count2.13 (3.88)2.15 (3.83)0.790Global Assessment3.30 (2.41)3.32 (2.43)0.702DAS-283.97 (1.52)3.90 (1.54)0.002CDAI14.26 (12.53)14.38 (12.59)0.515SDAI21.51 (23.57)21.61 (21.66)0.527When analyzing DAS as a categorical 4-items variable, the agreement between the physician and the nurse was present in 79.36% of the cases (weighted kappa was 0.77 [95%CI 0.73;0.83] which is considered as excellent, and was higher in patients with high disease activity (Figure 1).A positive concordance between the physician- and the nurse-DAS was associated with the country (higher in Egypt, p<0.001) and the status of higher disease activity (p<0.001).Conclusion:The agreement between the DAS-28 performed by the physician and by the nurse was excellent and was associated with the country and a higher disease activity. The present study confirms that the support of a trained nurse for evaluating disease activity in RA is feasible in the Arab countries and may save some valuable time in the clinic, whilst maintaining the quality of care for patients with RA.Figure 1.Agreement between physician- and nurse-DAS categoriesAcknowledgements:The authors would like to acknowledge the patients for participating in the study and the assistants/ students/ nurses who assisted in the data collection: Dr. Fatima Abdul Majeed Al Hawaj, M. Atef Ahmed, M. Mohammad Alhusamiah, Ms Raquel De Guzman, Ms Lina Razzouk.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1080-1080
Author(s):  
N. Ziade ◽  
S. Al Emadi ◽  
M. Abu Jbara ◽  
S. Saad ◽  
L. Kibbi ◽  
...  

Background:Involving the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the assessment of their disease may increase their adherence to treatment, improve the disease outcomes and facilitate the application of telehealth. We previously reported an excellent concordance between the Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) performed by physicians and patients at the baseline visit of this prospective study (1).Objectives:To evaluate the persistence of the concordance between the physician’ and the patient’s assessment of disease activity in RA using DAS-28 after one year.Methods:At the baseline visit, patients with RA from 7 Middle Eastern Arab Countries (MEAC) were briefed about DAS-28 by their rheumatologist during a routine consultation and given smartphone access to a video in Arabic language explaining the performance of DAS-28. At 3, 6 and 12 months (± 3 months), the patients were asked to self-report DAS-28, blinded to the physician’s assessment. Concordance between the continuous DAS-28 at each visit was calculated using paired t-test numerically and the Bland-Altman method graphically. Agreement between physician- and patient-DAS categories (remission, low-, moderate- and high disease activity) was calculated at each visit using weighted kappa for category comparison. Weighted kappa of the different agreements were compared over time using their respective confidence intervals (CIs). Predictive factors of positive concordance between physician and patient-DAS were identified using binary logistic regression.Results:The study included 428 patients over a period of three years (2018 to 2020). The mean age of participants was 49.8 years, 82.5% were females, 44.3% had a university degree and the mean disease duration was 11.4 years.At baseline, the average patient-DAS was higher (4.06 (±1.52)) than the physician-DAS (3.97 (±1.52)). The mean difference was -0.09 [95%CI -0.14; -0.04] and most of the pairs were within the limit of agreement in the Bland-Altman graph, indicating a good concordance, particularly in cases of remission.During the study follow-up, 299 patients consulted for visit 2 (69.9% of the total population), 232 for visit 3 (54.2%) and 199 for visit 4 (46.5%). The weighted kappa was 0.80 [95%CI 0.76;0.85] at visit 1 and 0.79 [95%CI 0.72;0.88] at visit 4 (Figure 1 showing kappa for DAS-28, CDAI and SDAI as well). A minor numerical decrease in kappa was observed over time; however, the CIs were overlapping over the four visits and the agreement was considered stable, remaining in the excellent range. At visit 4, a positive concordance between the physician- and the patient-DAS was associated with the profession (lower in blue collar, p=0.001), the educational level (higher in high school and university, p=0.034) and the baseline physician’s DAS (higher in high disease activity, p=0.46).Conclusion:The agreement between the DAS-28 performed by the physician and by the patient was excellent at baseline and remained stable over one year. A positive concordance was associated with the profession, the educational level and the level of disease activity. The present study can help the rheumatologist make informed decisions about the patients who may be suitable for a remote evaluation of their disease activity, that can be of particular interest in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.References:[1]Ziade N, Saad S, al Mashaleh M, et al. Perceptions of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis about Self-Assessment of Disease Activity after Watching an Educational Video: Qualitative Pilot Results from the Auto-DAS in Middle Eastern Arab Countries Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018; 70 (suppl 10).Acknowledgements:The authors would like to acknowledge the patients for participating in the study and the assistants/ students/ nurses who assisted in the data collection: Dr. Fatima Abdul Majeed Al Hawaj, M. Atef Ahmed, M. Mohammad Alhusamiah, Ms Raquel De Guzman, Ms Lina Razzouk.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1629.2-1629
Author(s):  
K. Ben Abdelghani ◽  
Y. Gzam ◽  
A. Fazaa ◽  
S. Miladi ◽  
K. Ouenniche ◽  
...  

Background:Axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease that mainly affects men. However, the female form of ax-SpA remains insufficiently studied.Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics, the disease activity and the functional impact of female ax-SpA in comparison with male ax-SpA.Methods:This is a retrospective study including patients diagnosed with ax-SpA fulfilling the criteria of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) 2009.Clinical parameters, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) and Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) were compared between groups of female and male ax-SpA.Results:Two hundred ax-SpA patients were included with 31% of female (n=62) and a mean age of 43,3 ± 11,2 years.The mean age at onset of symptoms was 31,8 ± 8,9 years for women and 25,3 ± 9,1 years for men (p <0,0001). The mean age at diagnosis was 36,4 ± 9,6 years for women and 31,7 ± 10,4 years for men (p = 0,003). Ax-SpA with juvenile onset was noted in 1,7% of women and 12,1% of men (p = 0,02). Male ax-SpA were significantly more smokers (46.8% vs 5.4%; p <0.001). The mean duration of morning stiffness was 11,3 ± 9,2 minutes for women versus 21,6 ± 19,3 minutes for men (p = 0,005).The mean ESR was 42,4 ± 29,8 mm for women and 28,3 ± 23,4 mm for men (p = 0,001). Radiographic sacroiliitis was present in 69,3% of women versus 84,7% of men (p = 0,01). The use of anti-TNF alpha was less frequent in women (29% vs 48,5%; p = 0,01).Our study didn’t found a statistically significant difference in peripheral manifestations, extraarticular manifestations, CRP, BASDAI and BASFI between the two groups.Conclusion:Female ax-SpA seems to have a better prognosis than male with older age in disease onset, less inflammation, less radiographic sacroiliitis and less use of biological treatments.References:[1]Rusman T, et al. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2018; 20(6).[2]Siar N, et al. Curr Rheumatol Rev. 2019;Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
DOMINIQUE IBAÑEZ ◽  
DAFNA D. GLADMAN ◽  
ZAHI TOUMA ◽  
MANDANA NIKPOUR ◽  
MURRAY B. UROWITZ

Objective.Adjusted mean Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; AMS) measures lupus disease activity over time. Our aim was to determine optimal visit frequency for calculating AMS.Methods.Patients followed monthly for 12 consecutive visits were included. AMS was calculated using all of the SLEDAI 2000 (AMSGOLD using all 12 visits), only quarterly visits (AMS3, using visits 3 months apart), semiannual visits (AMS6, using first, middle, and last visits only), and annual visits (AMS12, using only the first and last visits). Comparisons of AMS3, AMS6, and AMS12 with AMSGOLD are made using descriptive statistics.Results.Seventy-eight patients were included (92% women, mean age at SLE diagnosis 30.1 yrs and at study start 46.2 yrs). The mean (SD) AMSGOLD for the entire year was 2.05 (1.66), for AMS3 1.99 (1.65), for AMS6 2.12 (1.87), and for AMS12 2.08 (1.83). Mean (SD) of the absolute differences with AMSGOLD: for AMS3 0.29 (0.33), for AMS6 0.45 (0.59), and for AMS12 0.61 (0.58). Differences that were < 0.5 were considered minimal while those ≥ 1 were deemed important. Comparing AMSGOLD to AMS3, 82% of the differences were minimal and 3% were important. When comparing to AMS6, 68% were minimal and 10% were important, while comparing to AMS12, 50% were minimal and 21% were important.Conclusion.Usual clinic visits occurring quarterly offer a good estimation of disease activity over a 1-year period and are preferred over semiannual and annual visits.


1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 468-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
MG Robinson ◽  
DL Decktor

The efficacy of 4 g 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, mesalamine) enemas was assessed in 666 patients with distal ulcerative colitis. Patients were enrolled in an open-label compassionate use program. One 4 g 5-ASA enema was administered each night for a period of four weeks and the disease activity index was assessed at baseline and on days 14 and 28. On days 14 and 28, 78.0% and 88.1% of patients, respectively, demonstrated an improvement in disease activity index. The mean decline in disease activity index on day 14 was 40.7% (P=0.0001) and on day 28 it was 55.4% (P=0.0001). Efficacy was similar whether the disease was confined to or extended beyond 30 cm from the anus. There was no difference in efficacy in patients suffering their first episode of disease compared to patients suffering subsequent attacks. In conclusion, high dose 5-ASA enemas are a highly effective treatment for distal ulcerative colitis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 553.1-553
Author(s):  
K. Janke ◽  
K. Biester ◽  
D. Krause ◽  
B. Richter ◽  
C. Schürmann ◽  
...  

Background:Biologics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have different modes of action to target auto-inflammatory processes causing the signs and symptoms of the disease. Different biologics may thus have different effects on inflammatory markers. For instance, previous studies have shown that the interleukin-6-inhibitor tocilizumab (TOC) decreases the level of acute phase reactants (APRs) [1]. Such direct effects on inflammatory markers may lead to an overestimation of clinical response if disease activity is measured via scores including inflammatory markers, such as the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28). The detected changes in disease activity may not adequately reflect the clinical improvement of signs and symptoms.Objectives:In our study, we compared biologics with each other using two different disease activity scores: the DAS 28 including APRs and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI) excluding APRs. The aim of this study was to assess whether the use of the two different scores affects comparative effectiveness studies on biologics for the treatment of RA.Methods:We compared results on the comparative effectiveness of biologics using the corresponding thresholds for low disease activity (LDA) for the DAS 28 (< 3.2) and the CDAI (≤ 10). We performed two separate network meta-analyses (NMAs) after a thorough step-by-step evaluation of the similarity, homogeneity and consistency assumptions of the patient populations and the study data.Our study formed part of a systematic review (including NMAs) that was largely based on clinical study reports and re-analyses of LDA using individual patient data provided by sponsors for studies conducted up to 2017. Thus, the analyses include hitherto unknown data on LDA analysed by means of the CDAI, especially data from older studies. An extensive comparison of DAS 28 and CDAI in different patient populations was possible.Results:For all analysed patient populations, comparisons of TOC versus other biologics yielded remarkable results: advantages for TOC were found in NMAs using the DAS 28, which were not confirmed in NMAs using the CDAI. For methotrexate (MTX)-naïve patients, using the DAS 28, TOC showed a greater benefit than abatacept (ABA), certolizumab pegol (CZP), and etanercept (ETA), which was not confirmed by the CDAI. In contrast, TOC showed less benefit than adalimumab (ADA) and ETA. For patients after MTX failure and using the DAS 28, TOC showed a greater benefit than ABA, ADA, anakinra (ANA), ETA, golimumab (GOL), and infliximab (INF). With the exception of ANA, these advantages were not confirmed by the CDAI. Similar differences between DAS 28 and CDAI were shown in patients treated with biologics in monotherapy or after failure of biologics.Conclusion:In comparative effectiveness studies of biologics, the assessment of LDA using the DAS 28 instead of the CDAI leads to a consistent overestimation of the benefit of TOC in all patient populations, regardless of pre-treatment or combined therapy with MTX. The inclusion of APRs in disease activity scores may thus introduce bias. A score excluding inflammatory markers should therefore be used to ensure valid results.References:[1]Smolen JS, Aletaha D. Interleukin-6 receptor inhibition with tocilizumab and attainment of disease remission in rheumatoid arthritis: the role of acute-phase reactants. Arthritis Rheum 2011; 63(1): 43-52.Disclosure of Interests:Kirsten Janke: None declared, Katharina Biester: None declared, Dietmar Krause Grant/research support from: Pfizer and AbbVie (Abbott), Bernd Richter: None declared, Christoph Schürmann: None declared, Katharina Hirsch: None declared, Beate Wieseler: None declared


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ihsan Ciftci ◽  
Umit Dundar ◽  
Zafer Cetinkaya ◽  
Mustafa Kulac ◽  
Nilay Kiyildi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and density of Demodex folliculorum in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty-one patients with RA and twenty-seven age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Disease Activity Score (DAS 28) was used for the assessment of disease activity. Out of 41 patients, 33 were females and 8 males. The mean disease duration was 10.9 ± 8.2 years. The mean DAS 28 was 3.8 ± 1.2. No statistically significant differences in the incidence and density of Demodex mites were found between patients with RA and controls. Although immunosuppression is thought to be a risk factor for the D. folliculorum infestation no such correlations could be found in the 41 immunosuppressed patients with RA, therefore, further studies with larger groups are needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Kourosh Masnadi Shirazi ◽  
Sima Khayati ◽  
Maryam Baradaran Binazir ◽  
Zeinab Nikniaz

BACKGROUND Introducing a non-invasive method for determining disease activity is important in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). So in this study, we aimed to assess the association between disease activity index and microalbuminuria in patients with UC. METHODS In the present cross-sectional study, 84 patients with UC were selected. The disease activity was calculated by the partial Mayo clinic score. Microalbuminuria was assessed using the immunoturbidimetric method in a first-voided sample in the morning in two consecutive days and the mean of these two measurements was reported as urinary microalbumin level. Serum C reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and fecal calprotectin were measured respectively using conventional turbidimetric immunoassay, Westergren method, and ELISA methods. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 40.01 ± 12.85 years, 60.8% of them were female and 53.5% had microalbuminuria. The frequency of microalbuminuria was significantly higher in patients with active compared with inactive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There were significant differences between the patients with active and inactive disease regarding CRP, ESR, and calprotectin (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was a strong correlation between microalbuminuria and CRP (r = 0.89, p < 0.001), ESR (r = 0.92, p < 0.001), and calprotectin (r = 0.91, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Microalbuminuria could be used as a non-invasive marker of disease activity in patients with UC.


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