Update of the Mexican college of rheumatology guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis [Actualización de la Guía Mexicana para el Tratamiento Farmacológico de la Artritis Reumatoide del Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología]

Background: The pharmacologic management of rheumatoid arthritis has progressed substantially over the past years. It is therefore desirable that existing information be periodically updated. There are several published international guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that hardly adapt to the Mexican health system because of its limited healthcare resources. Hence, it is imperative to unify the existing recommendations and to incorporate them to a set of clinical, updated recommendations; the Mexican College of Rheumatology developed these recommendations in order to offer an integral management approach of rheumatoid arthritis according to the resources of the Mexican health system. Objective: To review, update and improve the available evidence within clinical practice guidelines on the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis and produce a set of recommendations adapted to the Mexican health system, according to evidence available through December 2012. Methods: The working group was composed of 30 trained and experienced rheumatologists with a high quality of clinical knowledge and judgment. Recommendations were based on the highest quality evidence from the previously established treatment guidelines, meta-analysis and controlled clinical trials for the adult population with rheumatoid arthritis. Results: During the conformation of this document, each working group settled the existing evidence from the different topics according to their experience. Finally, all the evidence and decisions were unified into a single document, treatment algorithm and drug standardization tables. Conclusions: This update of the Mexican Guidelines for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis provides the highest quality information available at the time the working group undertook this review and contextualizes its use for the complex Mexican health system. © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L

Clinical practice guidelines for the attention of pregnant women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases of the Mexican College of Rheumatology. Part II

Background: Pregnancy in women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases is associated with several maternal and fetal complications. The development of clinical practice guidelines with the best available scientific evidence may help standardize the care of these patients. Objectives: To provide recommendations regarding prenatal care, treatment, and a more effective monitoring of pregnancy in women with lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Methodology: Nominal panels were formed for consensus, systematic search of information, development of clinical questions, processing and staging of recommendations, internal validation by peers and external validation of the final document. The quality criteria of the AGREE II instrument were followed. Results: The panels answered 37 questions related to maternal and fetal care in lupus erythematosus, RA and APS, as well as for use of antirheumatic drugs during pregnancy and lactation. The recommendations were discussed and integrated into a final manuscript. Finally, the corresponding algorithms were developed. In this second part, the recommendations for pregnant women with RA, APS and the use of antirheumatic drugs during pregnancy and lactation are presented. Conclusions: We believe that the Mexican clinical practice guidelines for the management of pregnancy in women with RA and APS integrate the best available evidence for the treatment and follow-up of patients with these conditions. © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U