The Drug The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Saphnelo™ (anifrolumab-fnia) as a treatment for adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy. It is the third U.S. FDA approval of a lupus therapy since…

Question How accurate are rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients? Conclusion A rapid antigen test (Sofia FIA from Quidel) was highly specific, but sensitivity was 80% in symptomatic patients and only 40% in asymptomatic patients.…

Question For patients with sciatica, do epidural corticosteroid injections safely reduce pain and disability? Conclusion Epidural corticosteroid injections provide a small and probably clinically insignificant reduction in leg and back pain in the immediate term (< 2 weeks), and a…

Question Are ultrasound-guided intra-articular steroid injections more accurate than blind injections? Conclusion In this study from at a single center where steroid injections were given by a single experienced clinician, ultrasound (US)-guided intra-articular injections were more accurate than blind injection.…

Question Does convalescent plasma improve outcomes in patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2? Conclusion In this study, convalescent plasma did not improve outcomes in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Reference Simonovich VA, Burgos Pratx LD, Scibona P,…

Question Does Tofacitinib Increase the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with RA? Conclusion Recently, a link between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors has emerged, causing the FDA to recommend a black box label for tofacitinib in…

Question Are monoclonal antibodies against the interleukin-6 receptor effective in patients who are critically ill with COVID-19? Conclusion In patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 and require respiratory or cardiovascular organ support, the monocloncal antibodies tocilizumab and sarilumab reduce…

Question For acute muscle pain, what oral analgesic provides the best immediate relief? Conclusion A single dose of opioid analgesics provides similar acute pain relief to a single dose of a combination of acetaminophen and ibuprofen in patients with acute…

Question What interventions are effective in managing patients with chronic low back pain? Conclusion The interventions that are better than control in achieving at least a 30% reduction in pain are exercise, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), duloxetine, and opioids,…

Question Is electroacupuncture safe and effective in the treatment of adults with chronic low back pain? Conclusion This study found mixed results on the benefits of electroacupuncture in treating adults with chronic low back pain. Although no significant difference occurred…