Background: Racial and ethnic disparities in osteoarthritis (OA) patients’ disease experience may be related to marked differences in the utilization and prescription of pharmacologic treatments. Objectives: The main objective of this rapid systematic review was to evaluate studies that examined race/ethnic differences in the use of pharmacologic treatments for OA. Data sources and methods: A literature search (PubMed and Embase) was ran on 25 February 2022. Studies that evaluated race/ethnic differences in the use of OA pharmacologic treatments were included. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and abstracted data from full-text articles. Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Results: The search yielded 3880 titles, and 17 studies were included in this review. African Americans and Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to use prescription non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for OA. However, compared to non-Hispanic Whites with OA, African Americans and Hispanics with OA were less likely to receive a prescription for cyclooxygenase-2-selective NSAIDs and less likely to report the use of joint health supplements (i.e. glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate). There were minimal/no significant race/ethnic differences in the patient-reported use of the following OA therapies: acetaminophen, opioids, and other complementary/alternative medicines (vitamins, minerals, and herbs). There were also no significant race differences in the receipt of intra-articular therapies (i.e. glucocorticoid or hyaluronic acid). However, there is limited evidence to suggest that African Americans may be less likely than Whites to receive opioids and intra-articular therapies in some OA patient populations. Conclusion: This systematic review provides an overview of the current pharmacologic options for OA, with a focus on race and ethnic differences in the use of such medical therapies.

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Clinical Images TextA 52-year-old woman with history of incomplete systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with worsening shortness of breath after being evaluated 10 days before an urgent care for cough and shortness of breath without hemoptysis. Her cough resolved, but increased shortness of breath brought her to the emergency department.The patient's D-dimer level was elevated at 809 ng/mL with subsequent chest computed tomography angiogram negative for pulmonary embolus. Computed tomography (CT) findings were significant for multiple pulmonary nodules with some demonstrating air bronchograms, and others demonstrating circumferential halos suggesting active infectious process (Fig. 1A-D). Her vitals were within normal limits, and other laboratory values were notable for normal white blood cell count, normal serum creatinine and urinalysis, microcytic anemia with hemoglobin of 8.1 g/dL, elevation in erythrocyte sedimentation rate to 78 mm/h, and Creactive protein level of 0.5 mg/dL, positive rheumatoid factor of 85 IU/mL, ANA titer of 1:2560 in a homogenous and nucleolar pattern, and anti-DNA titer of 1:160. Results of SS-A/SS-B testing were greater than 8.0 AI. The patient was discharged from the emergency department with a 4-week course of augmentin with plans to repeat chest CT upon completion of antibiotic course and outpatient rheumatology follow-up.At rheumatology appointment, SLE serologies were obtained due to family history of SLE in her mother and 2 sisters. sources relevant to the topic.