Guidelines & Useful Links | Scottish Society for Rheumatology

This page collates relevant Rheumatology guidance and resources; it is intended as a general pointer and while it is updated regularly is not intended to be an exhaustive list. We hope you find it useful.

The SSR does not accept responsibility for the content of external websites.

SSR Statements

Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group SRUG Best Practice Standards Rheumatology Ultrasound in Scotland

SSR Consensus Statement on Vaccination in Adult Patients with Rheumatic Diseases (December 2011)

Clinical Guidelines

Antiphospholipid syndrome

EULAR recommendations for the management of antiphospholipid syndrome in adults

Behçet’s syndrome

2018 update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of Behçet’s syndrome

Giant cell arteritis

British Society for Rheumatology guideline on diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis

Gout

2018 updated European League Against Rheumatism evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of gout

2016 updated EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the management of gout

The British Society for Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout

Hot swollen joint

BSR & BHPR, BOA, RCGP and BSAC guidelines for management of the hot swollen joint in adults

Rheumatoid arthritis

SIGN 123: Management of early rheumatoid arthritis (February 2011, archived 2021)

NICE Rheumatoid arthritis overview

NICE NG100 Rheumatoid arthritis in adults: management (updated October 2020)

EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2019 update

Biologic therapies in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (January 2008)

Psoriatic arthritis

SIGN 121: Diagnosis and management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adults (October 2010, guidance archived 2020)

The 2012 BSR and BHPR guideline for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis with biologics

EULAR recommendations for the management of psoriatic arthritis with pharmacological therapies: 2019 update

Sjogren's syndrome

The British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the management of adults with primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

EULAR recommendations for the management of Sjögren’s syndrome with topical and systemic therapies

Spondyloarthritis

NICE Spondyloarthritis overview

NICE NG65 Spondyloarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (updated June 2017)

2016 update of the ASAS-EULAR management recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis

BSR and BHPR guideline for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (including ankylosing spondylitis) with biologics

SLE

The British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus in adults

2019 update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic sclerosis

Update of EULAR recommendations for the treatment of systemic sclerosis

BSR and BHPR guideline for the treatment of systemic sclerosis

Medications

BSR/BHPR guideline for DMARD therapy (June 2008)

The British Society for Rheumatology biologic DMARD safety guidelines in inflammatory arthritis

BSR and BHPR guideline for the prescription and monitoring of non-biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Royal College of Ophthalmology Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine Retinopathy: Recommendations on Monitoring

Chronic Pain

SIGN 136: Management of chronic pain (August 2019)

Osteoporosis

SIGN 142: Management of osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures (January 2021)

NICE Osteoporosis overview

Osteoarthritis

NICE Osteoarthritis overview

Polymyalgia rheumatica

BSR and BHPR guidelines for the management of polymyalgia rheumatica

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

BSR and BHPR guideline on prescribing drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding—Part I: standard and biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and corticosteroids

BSR and BHPR guideline on prescribing drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding—Part II: analgesics and other drugs used in rheumatology practice

Vaccination

2019 update of EULAR recommendations for vaccination in adult patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Vasculitis

BSR and BHPR guideline for the management of adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis

2018 Update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of large vessel vasculitis

EULAR/ERA-EDTA recommendations for the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis

Other Organisations

Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group (SRUG)

Standards of care - the role of ARMA

EULAR recommendations

British Society for Rheumatology

Versus Arthritis

American College of Rheumatology

Scottish Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Network (SPARN)

Information for patients & carers

Treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (SIGN)

Managing chronic pain (SIGN)