Dr Saravana Shanmugam

SPECIALIST EXPERIENCE IN RHEUMATOLOGY

Outpatient experience:

Throughout my training, including my time as a staff grade, I have gained extensive clinical experience in the outpatient management of patients with rheumatic diseases.  The clinics include:

General rheumatology

 Much of my experience has been gained in general and urgent referral clinics where I have seen unselected new and follow-up patients with a wide range of inflammatory and non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

 Lupus clinic

I spent 9 months in the specialist clinic (Dr Situnayake) as a SpR, gaining wider training in the outpatient management of the connective tissue diseases.

Vasculitis clinic

I attended vasculitis clinic (Dr D Carruthers) and learnt to deliver care in the tertiary referral clinic where new and follow-up patients were seen.

Joint injection clinic

I have provided a joint injection service as a staff grade, specialist registrar and at consultant level. I am confident in intra articular and soft tissue injections.

Combined clinics

Orthopaedics/rheumatology. There was a combined upper limb orthopaedic clinic once a month and lower limb orthopaedic clinic once a month. I attended both clinics, which gave me good exposure in managing patients who may need orthopaedic intervention.

Paediatrics/rheumatology. I did an attachment in University Hospital forSick   Children, Toronto, in 2003 (3weeks), which is a tertiary referral center for paediatric rheumatology patients. I attended combined paediatric rheumatology/renal, paediatric rheumatology/ neurology clinics and morphoea clinic. I had further exposure by attending paediatric rheumatology clinic in Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry.

Inpatient experience:  

I have been responsible for the care of inpatients with a broad spectrum of acute and chronic musculoskeletal problems. This has given me extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of patients within a multi-disciplinary team, including the supervision of junior medical staff.  The inpatients I have managed include:

General rheumatology

Routine and urgent admissions of patients with a wide variety of   rheumatological illnesses including patients with septic, crystal arthropathy, all stages of inflammatory arthritis admitted for assessment, disease control and involvement of the orthopaedic service when there is significant irreversible joint damage.

Connective tissue disease/vasculitis

I have gained valuable experience in this area including responsibility for the management of patients with complex diseases including SLE with multi system involvement, vasculitis with renal/cerebral involvement, inflammatory muscle disease and scleroderma.

Intensive care

I have experience in the combined care of rheumatology patients requiring ITU admission.

Day-cases

I have good experience in the use of day-case therapies, including pulse cyclophosphamide regimens, integrated care pathway, biological treatment for SLE, RA and connective tissue disease.

Rheumatology ward referrals

 I have provided first on-call service for rheumatological ward referrals providing rapid assessment and support for colleagues ever since I started my job as a staff grade in rheumatology.

On-call for rheumatology

I was part of the Birmingham wide on-call rota for rheumatological emergencies managing out of hours problems.

General rheumatology

Lupus

Vasculitis

Joint Injections