The Pediatric Rheumatology team provides comprehensive services for children with rheumatic diseases. They evaluate children with musculoskeletal pain, fever of unknown origin and other inflammatory conditions. The main diseases followed in the rheumatology clinics are juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), connective tissue diseases (such as lupus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis), systemic vasculitis (such as Kawasaki disease), and periodic fever syndromes.
Most patients are seen in the outpatient setting in the Rheumatology clinics with coordinated care by nursing, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. Each physician has dedicated clinic time where they follow their own patients. They also all take part in combined clinics with other services such as Orthopedics and Dermatology. Point of care ultrasound clinics and a joint injection program are also services provided by this team. Some pediatric rheumatology patients have regular visits at the Pediatric day centre for intravenous treatments or when they require coordinated visits with multiple specialists. Despite the complexity of their disease and treatment, our patients rarely require hospital admission because of the comprehensive ongoing outpatient care that they receive.
Pediatric rheumatology services are also provided at Hôpital Val d'Or for the RUIS Abitibi-Temiscamingue, at The Children’s Clinic, and at the sport medicine clinic on the West Island. In partnership with the Arthritis Society, the rheumatology team participates in the successful implementation of Camp Articulaction, which is a sleep away summer camp for children with rheumatic diseases.
