Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal arthropathy (CPPA) is a well known but heterogeneous disease with a variable presentation and course. We present a cross-sectional study undertaken in a Portuguese rheumatology unit with the aim of analysing clinical and radiological patterns of CPPA in our population. The study population included 50 patients, 34 (68%) women and 16 (32%) men. The mean age was 69.8 +/- 8.8 years. The onset features were acute arthritis in 19 (38%) patients and chronic joint complaints in 26 (52%); five (10%) patients were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, which was based only on radiological findings. The diagnosis was established in 37 (74%) cases by clinical and radiographic features, in eight (16%) by clinical, X-ray and synovial fluid analysis, and in five (10%) by clinical features and fluid analysis. The disease course was characterised by acute episodic arthritis in 16 (32%) patients and by persistent symptoms (with or without synovitis) in 34 (68%). The pattern of CPPA in 20 (40%) patients was pseudo-osteoarthritis with synovitis, pseudo-osteoarthritis without synovitis in nine (18%), pseudogout in nine (18%), monoarthropathy in eight (16%) and pseudorheumatoid arthritis in four (8%). The phosphocalcium balance was altered in nine (18%) cases: six patients had hypercalciuria two hyperphosphaturia, two hypocalciuria, one hypophosphaturia and one hypercalcemia. Five patients had abnormal thyroid hormone levels, but only one presented with clinical hypothyroidism. Four patients showed increased parathormone levels, but only one presented with clinical hyperparathyroidism. Radiographic findings showed that 43 (86%) patients had meniscus calcifications, 20 (40%) radiocarpal and 16 (32%) calcification of the symphysis pubis. The study confirms the clinical variability of the disease in a population of Portuguese patients. The knee meniscus calcifications were the most sensitive single finding for establishing the diagnosis of CPPA. Almost all our patients had sporadic idiopathic CPPA without associated pathological conditions.

BackgroundHumanistic care in medicine has shown to improve healthcare outcomes. Language barriers are a significant obstacle to humanistic care, and trained medical interpreters have demonstrated to effectively bridge the gap for the vulnerable limited English proficiency (LEP) patient population. One way in which medical schools can train more humanistic physicians and provide language access is through the implementation of programs to train bilingual medical students as medical interpreters. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate whether such training had an impact on bilingual medical student’s interpretation skills and humanistic traits.MethodsBetween 2015 and 2017, whole-day (~ 8 h) workshops on medical interpretation were offered periodically to 80 bilingual medical students at the Penn State College of Medicine. Students completed a series of questionnaires before and after the training that assessed the program’s effectiveness and its overall impact on interpretation skills and humanistic traits. Students also had the opportunity to become certified medical interpreters.ResultsThe 80 student participants were first- to third- year medical students representing 21 languages. Following training, most students felt more confident interpreting (98%) and more empathetic towards LEP patients (87.5%). Students’ scores in the multiple-choice questions about medical interpretation/role of the interpreter were also significantly improved (Chi-Square test, p < 0.05). All students who decided to take the exam were able to successfully become certified interpreters. Ninety-two percent of participants reported they would recommend the program and would be willing to serve as a future “coaches” for interpreter training workshops delivered to peer students.ConclusionsOur program was successful in increasing self-reported measures of empathy and humanism in medical students. Our data suggests that implementation of medical interpreter training programs can be a successful strategy to develop of humanism in medical students, and aid in the development of sustainable language access for LEP patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-018-1254-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has come with many challenges for healthcare providers and patients alike. In addition to the direct burden it has placed on societies and health systems, it had a significant impact in the care of patients with chronic diseases, as healthcare resources were deployed to fight the crisis, and major travel and social restrictions were adopted. In the field of rheumatology, this has required notable efforts from departments and clinicians to adapt to the novel status quo and assure the follow-up of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. In the present viewpoint, we provide a practical approach to tackle this reality. Key measures include setting up preventive team management strategies, optimising communication with patients and reorganising patient care in all its dimensions. We then anticipate the nuances of rheumatology practice as restrictive measures are progressively lifted, while an effective vaccine is still pending. This includes the need to reimpose the same strategy as further waves unfold. Finally, we look ahead and address the lessons we can incorporate into post-COVID-19 rheumatology.

Clinical risk factors (CRFs) are established predictors of fracture events. However, the influence of individual CRFs on trabecular mechanical fragility is still a subject of debate. In this study, we aimed to assess differences, adjusted for CRFs, between bone macrostructural parameters measured in ex-vivo specimens from hip fragility fracture patients and osteoarthritis patients, and to determine whether individual CRFs could predict trabecular bone mechanical behavior in hip fragility fractures. Additionally, we also looked for associations between the 10-year risk of major and hip fracture calculated by FRAX and trabecular bone mechanical performance. In this case-control study, a group of fragility fracture patients were compared with a group of osteoarthritis patients, both having undergone hip replacement surgery. A clinical protocol was applied in order to collect CRFs [body mass index (BMI), prior fragility fracture, parental history of hip fracture, long-term use of oral glucocorticoids, rheumatoid arthritis, current smoking, alcohol consumption, age and gender]. The 10-year probability of fracture was calculated. Serum bone turnover markers were determined and dual X-ray absorptiometry performed. Femoral head diameter was evaluated and trabecular bone cylinders were drilled for mechanical testing to determine bone strength, stiffness and toughness. We evaluated 40 hip fragility fracture and 52 osteoarthritis patients. Trabecular bone stiffness was significantly lower (p = 0.042) in hip fragility fracture patients when compared to osteoarthritic individuals, adjusted for age, gender and BMI. No other macrostructural parameter was statistically different between the groups. In hip fragility fracture patients, smoking habits (β = -0.403; p = 0.018) and female gender (β = -0.416; p = 0.008) were independently associated with lower stiffness. In addition, smoking was also independently associated with worse trabecular strength (β = -0.323; p = 0.045), and toughness (β = -0.403; p = 0.018). In these patients, the 10-year risk of major (r = -0.550; p = 0.012) and hip fracture (r = -0.513; p = 0.021) calculated using only CRFs was strongly correlated with femoral neck bone mineral density but not with mechanical performance. Our data showed that among fragility fracture patients active smoking is a predictor of worse intrinsic trabecular mechanical performance, and female gender is also independently associated with lower stiffness. In this population, the 10-year risk of fracture using CRFs with different weights only reflects bone mass loss but not trabecular mechanical properties.