Indonesian Rheumatology Association (IRA) Recommendations for Diagnosis and Management of Sjogren’s Syndrome

Abstract

Background. Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects exocrine glands. Dealing with SS is challenging due to the low level of awareness and knowledge about SS, as well as the difficulty in diagnosing and treating the disease. Diagnosing SS requires many supporting examinations from many medical specialties. Therefore, these recommendations were developed to serve as a guide for health practitioners in diagnosing and treating SS.
 Methods. Six selected rheumatologists from the Indonesian Rheumatologist Association (IRA) formulated the recommendations based on key questions formed by a steering committee from IRA. These recommendation materials were taken from several online databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Level of evidence and grades of recommendation were then assigned, and every member of the panellist team will assign a score for level of agreement.
 Results. The panel generated a total of 19 recommendations discussing the diagnosis, pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy, and prognosis for SS.
 Conclusion. These recommendations can be used to help clinicians correctly diagnose and choose the most suitable therapy for SS patients. All recommendation statements were created with the consideration of Indonesia’s clinical setting, facility, and drug availability.