C00006 PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS - A WEB BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL MULTICENTRE SURVEY

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in uncertainty and negative psychological outcomes for patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases for several reasons.1The anxiety is due to “underlying conditions” that are expected to increase the risk of infection and / or severe complications. Patients with rheumatological disorders fall into this group as they are believed to be immunosuppressed due to disease or the treatment. It is essential to understand the level of anxiety among the rheumatic disease patients at the current situation of COVID-19.

Objectives:

To study difference in Anxiety score (Mean/Avg Score) among following groups-underlying rheumatic disease, age, gender, marital status, educational status, employment status, medications, those who were on steroids/not, those who are Biologicals / Not.

Methods:

A web-based cross-sectional multi-centre survey was done across 5 rheumatology centres in India. The study duration was between 9th May and 16th May 2020.The questionnaire included consent, demographic details, medication history, opinion about tele rheumatology services and anxiety score measured by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)2.

Results:

The survey was sent to 2987 patients, there were 933 responses and 581 were complete (Male =175). Complete responses were considered for data analysis. Most respondents were less than 50 years of age (70.6%). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was the most frequent (50.6%) diagnosis followed by other conditions. Most of the patients (43%) were on combination DMARD therapy, 12.7% of patients were on biological drugs and 23.9% of patients were on glucocorticoids. Statistically significant higher anxiety scores were observed in females, patients suffering from fibromyalgia, patients on glucocorticoids and biological agents. There was no difference in the anxiety scores with regard to age, educational status, and employment status.Difficulty in meeting rheumatologists and getting medications was expressed by 327 (56.2%) and 73 (29.7%) respondents respectively. Majority of respondents (86.6 %) agreed/strongly agreed regarding use of telemedicine to access health care during the crisis.

Conclusion:

The findings of the study revealed that anxiety is a major concern in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Fibromyalgia patients and those who were on glucocorticoids and biological drugs were found to have more anxiety levels compared to other groups of patients. In such periods of public health crises, telemedicine is a great tool for patients to access healthcare without fear of going to hospital. There is a need to intensify the awareness and address the mental health issues of rheumatology patients during this COVID-19 pandemic.

References:

[1]Pope, J.E. What Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Mean for Rheumatology Patients?. Curr Treat Options in Rheum (2020).https://doi.org/10.1007/s40674-020-00145-y.

[2]Oh H, Park K, Yoon S, Kim Y, Lee SH, Choi YY, et al. Clinical utility of beck anxiety inventory in clinical and nonclinical Korean samples. Front Psychiatry.2018;9:666.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00666

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Amyloid arthropathy associated with multiple myeloma: a systematic analysis of 101 reported cases

OBJECTIVE

Amyloid deposition in multiple myeloma (MM) may lead to an arthropathy resembling rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since a systematic description of its natural history is lacking, we have performed a systematic analysis of all published cases.

METHODS

Literature review featuring backward and forward database searches and direct inspection of reference lists. Inclusion criteria were as follows: publication between 1931 and 2012, diagnosis of multiple myeloma, and demonstration of light chain amyloid (AL) in any organ or in synovial fluid, arthritis, or synovitis.

RESULTS

Overall, 101 cases were identified. Median age was 59 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1. A systemic manifestation of MM was reported in 88 cases. In 53 of these, characteristic physical findings (carpal tunnel syndrome, macroglossia, shoulder pad, and soft tissue swelling/masses) were present. Arthritis manifested before the diagnosis of MM in 63 cases, with 33 cases initially misdiagnosed as RA. There were 72 cases of poly-, 17 of oligo-, and three of monoarthritis. The shoulder joint was most commonly affected, followed by knees and small hand joints. Median synovial fluid leukocyte count was 2460 cells/mm(3), and was normal in seven cases. Synovial histopathology often featured mild synovitis without plasma cell infiltration. Imaging revealed articular or periarticular inflammation in many cases and bone lesions near 22% of affected joints. Treatments varied but led to some improvement in the majority of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

These results solidify previous experience that MM arthropathy tends to feature a symmetric RF-negative nonerosive polyarthritis. However, the results also highlight the diversity of its presentations and stress the importance of arthropathy as a potentially under-recognized presenting manifestation of MM.

Monoclonal gammopathies presenting as inflammatory arthritis: uncommon but important--a case series

OBJECTIVE

To review the clinical profile of patients with plasma cell dyscrasias presenting with inflammatory arthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis was performed on clinical, laboratory and imaging data of patients who presented with inflammatory arthritis between May 2009 and April 2010 and were subsequently diagnosed as having plasma cell dyscrasias. Six out of 630 patients presenting with inflammatory arthritis were identified. The demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of these patients were analyzed. The diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy was based on protein electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis and bone marrow biopsy. The outcomes of the treatments were analyzed.

RESULTS

Four patients had monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance and two patients had multiple myeloma. Mean age of the patients was 65 years (range 59-74). Three patients presented with oligoarticular arthritis, two with symmetrical polyarticular joint pains and one with fleeting periarticular pains. Wrist and shoulder were the most commonly involved joints. Three patients had carpal tunnel syndrome. Five patients were seronegative for both rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies. Mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was high in all patients (range: 82-120 mm/h with a mean of 99.6 mm/h). Arthritis improved with chemotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma.

CONCLUSION

Occurrence of inflammatory arthritis with plasma dyscrasias is more than a chance association. Plasma cell dyscrasias should be ruled out in any elderly patient presenting with atypical arthritis with disproportionately high ESR, high creatinine and hyperglobulinemia.

Changes in exercise heart rate in lowlanders after prolonged stay at high altitude (4000 m)

Studies were conducted on cardiac frequency during submaximal and maximal work on 26 sea-level residents prior to transfer to and during stay at high altitude for 1, 10, and 20 months. Maximal O2 uptake and performance in a 1.6 km run were observed. Results indicated a significant drop in Vo2 after arrival at altitude followed by recovery with further stay. The mean maximum heart rate decreased to 182.8 beats/min after 1 month at high altitude from a seal-level mean value of 188.4 beats/min. It increased to 199.2 beats/min and decreased to 185.6 beats/min after 10 and 20 months, respectively. Heart rate, during submaximal work requiring 1.0 and 1.5 102/min, indicated the highest rate after 1 month at altitude and decreased with prolonged stay, but remained higher than the sea-level value. These changes were compared with the high-altitude native residents.