Update of French Society for Rheumatology Recommendations for Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Publication date: Available online 10 October 2018Source: Joint Bone SpineAuthor(s): Claire Daien, Charlotte Hua, Cécile Gaujoux-Viala, Alain Cantagrel, Madeleine Dubremetz, Maxime Dougados, Bruno Fautrel, Xavier Mariette, Nathalie Nayral, Christophe Richez, Alain Saraux, Gérard Thibaud, Daniel Wendling, Laure Gossec, Bernard CombeAbstractThe 2014 French Society for Rheumatology (Société Française de Rheumatologie, SFR) recommendations about the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been updated by a task force composed of 12 expert rheumatologists, 2 patient self-help group representatives, and an occupational therapist. The material used by the task force included recent EULAR recommendations, a systematic literature review, and expert opinion. Four general principles and 15 recommendations were developed. The general principles emphasize the need for shared decision-making between the rheumatologist and the patient and for a global management program including both pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. The recommendations deal with the diagnostic strategy for RA, treatment targets, management organization, drug selection based on the treatment line and prognostic factors, management of remissions, and global patient management. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy should be started as early as possible. Validated composite scores should be determined at regular intervals to assess disease activity -- according to the tight disease c...
Source: Joint Bone Spine - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research