E- ISSN: 2709-5533
Vol 4 / Jan - Jun [2023]
globalrheumpanlar.org
Videoblog
A few surprises at the PANLAR 2023 Congress
Authors:
Estefanía Fajardo
Dr Ricardo Xavier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.233.e167
Cite as: Fajardo E. Las sorpresas que trae el congreso PANLAR 2023 [Internet]. Global Rheumatology. Vol 4 / Jan - Jun [2023]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.233.e167
Received date: March 25, 2023
Accepted date: April 10, 2023
Published Date: April 13, 2023
Dr. Ricardo Xavier, member of the PANLAR Board of Directors, discussed what we can expect from this year’s congress in Rio de Janeiro.
Estefanía Fajardo: Welcome to a new Global Rheumatology video blog. Today we will be talking with Dr. Ricardo Xavier about what this year's PANLAR congress is going to be like. Welcome, Doctor.
Ricardo Xavier: Hello Estefania. It is a pleasure to be here with you today announcing our big upcoming PANLAR Congress in Rio de Janeiro.
Estefanía Fajardo: Initially, what does it bring and what are the main themes of this congress?
Ricardo Xavier: The PANLAR Congress will be held in Rio de Janeiro. It was organized in record time, a mere 8 months since our event in Miami, thanks to the intense work by our staff and especially to the Scientific Committee’s staff, led by Dr. Enrique Soriano, as well as the participation of the de Scientific Director of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology, Dr. Ivanio Pereira.
They worked on a diverse program that addresses important and relevant aspects to current rheumatology practice, what is happening more intensively and faster in science, such as some areas like SLE, spondyloarthritis, where several new drugs are appearing, and also vasculitis, which is one of the topics being discussed and addressed. We have to work hard because new drugs are arriving. There are several other aspects of these osteometabolic diseases. We will also feature hands-on workshops. We have three workshops planned, one on ultrasound, and also on synovial fluid evaluation. Some other theoretical workshops will be very interesting, including how to publish your work. So we will have a lot of things to discuss during our PANLAR event in Rio de Janeiro to start doing spectacular work. I am sure that everybody will be satisfied, and that it will respond to the needs of all of us in our clinical practice.
Estefanía Fajardo: What changes will we have this year, considering we no longer are subject to the measures that were in place during the pandemic?
Ricardo Xavier: In Brazil today there are practically no restrictions being recommended by the government. Of course, there are those recommendations to keep a safe distance, or avoid big gatherings. From the point of view of maintaining basic hygienic care, those people who have flu-like symptoms should wear a mask, but the use of masks will not be mandatory. In fact, the congress will take place in a hotel, the Windsor Hotel, which is located in a very nice area of Rio de Janeiro, the Barra da Tijuca, which will be very comfortable because the rooms are excellent and the hotel is surrounded by several hotels, so all congress participants will have very quick access both to their rooms and to the congress area. In the evening, after the congress, the hotel is close to the beach, so all participants will be able to relax after the end of the scientific program and take a walk along the shore of the marina, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Rio de Janeiro.
Estefanía Fajardo: What are the mandatory topics at the congress that represent what PANLAR is all about?
Ricardo Xavier: As I said, the scientific program is really very good. It has several interesting aspects. If you ask for some must-sees, there are some innovative sessions that I am very curious to attend. Some important things, for example, are that PANLAR will publish the Consensus of Recommendations for the Management of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. I think this really should be one of the highlights of our congress. At least in this area, I am very curious to participate. We will also have the International Consensus on Antinuclear Antibody Standards. I think this is one of those activities that you cannot miss, but practically all of them, when you look at it, it will be very difficult for us to choose because there are a lot of good things happening and we will have, for example, a PANLAR Young session. We know that rheumatology not only in Brazil but in all America has been growing a lot with young rheumatologists, and they are becoming more and more active and very committed. There is a fantastic group of young people there, and here we have already created our own session, following the example of what happened in Miami, evaluating and discussing topics of interest to rheumatologists.
We will have an EULAR symposium, an ACR symposium, a GRAPPA symposium. The international associations will also have a space there. And we are going to have a session that I think is very interesting, very important, which is the session of our rheumatology colleagues from Rio de Janeiro.
I think it is good to mention that rheumatology in Brazil was born in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian Society of Rheumatology was founded in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1949, and the first PANLAR congress took place in 1955 in this same city. So, Rio de Janeiro has a historical link with PANLAR, with the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology.
That is why a specific session was dedicated to our Carioca colleagues, as we call the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro. They put together a very interesting program on diseases that mimic rheumatic diseases, things that we have to be taking care of there in our day-to-day life.
We will also have a pre-congress session that I recommend to everyone. This session was organized by the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology, coordinated there by our scientific director, Ivanio Pereira. I also recommend, for those who have an interest in the area of pediatrics, the pre-congress course on pediatrics and a workshop on ultrasound. So, it is really a congress full of attractions that will surely satisfy the interests of all of you.
Estefanía Fajardo: How was the process of planning and execution of this event with all the research and academic points?
Ricardo Xavier: The process of organizing the PANLAR congress, as I said, was quite fast due to the short period of time between PANLAR Miami and Rio de Janeiro. We had eight months to work, but thanks to the organizing company, I think they did a hard work, the congress was ready, the scientific program was done in record time and, an interesting thing is that even with the short time of eight months, we had more than 400 approved papers, several free topics, to be presented together with their scientific sessions. This really gives a greater importance to these presentations of free topics.
So the executive board worked very hard, indeed, along with the MCI, with the support of the president of the PANLAR congress, Dr. Licia Mota.
Estefanía Fajardo: What sets this PANLAR congress apart from others?
Ricardo Xavier: I think there are some innovations, one that I can even anticipate you, is going to be an innovation in relation to our main presentation room, our main room, which is structured to be able to have one conference for everybody, but it is also structured with the possibility that we would have three simultaneous presentations in the same room with people wearing headsets and being able to follow any of the three presentations at their choice. So this is an interesting innovation that we're bringing a little bit based on the Miami experience, which was a highly praised talk because it was all done in one room, so we wanted to keep some of that as well. We will have more than one room, but at least we have a large room, precisely to have more variety of topics to discuss we followed this option of establishing a scheme where there can be three concurrent presentations, it is an interesting thing and different from previous PANLARs.
Estefanía Fajardo: Finally, an invitation to everyone to attend the congress.
Ricardo Xavier: I think that with all this programming I mentioned, with all this news coming out after a pandemic period, being in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which hosted the first PANLAR Congress almost 70 years ago, and is a city that, as I said, has a very strong historical link with rheumatology, where we will be very well received by our colleagues from Rio, there is no way we can miss it.
I think it is going to be a unique meeting, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, for me it is the most beautiful in the world, and not only because of its beauty, but also because of the kindness of the people. I am sure that all those who are going to participate will have a great stay and will have a great event, they will learn a lot and will take with them very good memories of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.
Estefanía Fajardo: Thank you.
