Teaching Pearls:
- ANA negative lupus, check SSA/SSB which are associated with neonatal lupus and congenital heart block
- ANA positive in 99% of patients with lupus, but low specificity
- double stranded DNA antibodies are used to monitor disease severity in lupus
- check C3, C4, and double stranded DNA to work up possible lupus flare
- Drug induced lupus: Look for positive ANA and anti-histone antibodies. Also look for exposure to procainamide, hydralazine, chlorpromazine, PTU, phenytoin, minocycline, and TNF inhibitors.
| Steroid | Duration | Equivalent Dosing |
| Dexamethasone | Long-acting | 1 mg |
| Methylprednisolone | Intermediate-acting | 4 mg |
| Prednisone | Intermediate-acting | 5 mg |
| Hydrocortisone | Short-acting | 20 mg |
SCVMC IM Chief Resident Blog 