Clinical factors associated with discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs in rheumatic patients from the BIOBADASER III registry.

Biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (ts/bDMARDs) play a pivotal role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Persistence of therapy provides an index of a drug's overall effectiveness. The objective of the study was to identify factors associated with discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs in a real-world dataset. The study population comprised patients diagnosed with RA, PsA, and AS included in the BIOBADASER registry for whom follow-up data were available until November 2019. Patient features and treatment data were included in the analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to study survival of the different drugs according to the reason for discontinuation. Factors associated with discontinuation were studied using Cox regression models and bivariate and multivariate analyses. P values of less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. The study population comprised 4,752 patients who received a total of 8,377 drugs, of which 4,411 (52.65%) were discontinued. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that survival for first-line treatment was greater in all 3 groups (p < 0.001). Patients with RA had a greater risk of discontinuation if they were younger (HR, 0.99; 95% CI 0.99-1.00), if they were receiving anti-TNFα agents (HR, 0.61; 95% CI 0.54-0.70), and if they had more comorbid conditions (HR, 1.09; 95% CI 1.00-1.17). Patients with PsA had a higher risk if they were women (HR, 1.36; 95% CI 1.15-1.62) and if they were receiving other ts/bDMARDs (HR, 1.29; 95% CI 1.05-1.59). In patients with AS, risk increased with age (HR, 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.02), as did the number of comorbid conditions (HR, 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45). The factors that most affected discontinuation of ts/bDMARDs were line of treatment, age, type of drug, sex, comorbidity and the year of initiation of treatment. The association with these factors differed with each disease, except for first-line treatment, which was associated with a lower risk of discontinuation in all 3 diseases.

Necrotizing fasciitis and myositis caused by streptococcal flesh-eating bacteria.

Three types of group A streptococcal infections are particularly feared: necrotizing fasciitis, myositis, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS). We present 3 cases of necrotizing fasciitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes, one in an immunocompromised patient who had received kidney transplant and 2 healthy patients. Mean age of patients was 52 years (range, 42-67 years), and all 3 were male. One spontaneous case in absence of any obvious portal of entry is reported. The clinical course was initially indolent but quickly destructive. All patients required emergency surgical debridement and intravenous antibiotics. In 2 cases, intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was added. Differential diagnoses include septic arthritis, cellulitis, gout, other causes of tenosynovitis, erysipelas, and deep vein thrombosis.Blood and soft-tissue cultures should be obtained to identify the bacteria, and emergency computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan should be performed to confirm the diagnosis and define the extension of the necrosis. Aggressive surgical debridement in the first 24 to 48 hours and antibiotic treatment, including penicillin and clindamycin, are the cornerstones in the management of these infections. Adjuvant intravenous immunoglobulin therapy might be useful in case of TSS. Diagnostic and treatment delays are the main causes of mortality in these infections.