Objective: The Canadian Vasculitis research network (CanVasc) is composed of physicians from different medical specialties and researchers with expertise in vasculitis. One of its aims is to develop recommendations for the diagnosis and management of antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) in Canada.
Methods: Diagnostic and therapeutic questions were developed based on the results of a national needs assessment survey. A systematic review of existing non-Canadian recommendations and guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AAV and studies of AAV published after the 2009 European League Against Rheumatism/European Vasculitis Society recommendations (publication date: January 2009) until November 2014 was performed in the Medline database, Cochrane library, and main vasculitis conference proceedings. Quality of supporting evidence for each therapeutic recommendation was graded. The full working group as well as additional reviewers, including patients, reviewed the developed therapeutic recommendations and nontherapeutic statements using a modified 2-step Delphi technique and through discussion to reach consensus.
Results: Nineteen recommendations and 17 statements addressing general AAV diagnosis and management were developed, as well as appendices for practical use, for rheumatologists, nephrologists, respirologists, general internists, and all other healthcare professionals more occasionally involved in the management of patients with AAV in community and academic practice settings.
Conclusion: These recommendations were developed based on a synthesis of existing international guidelines, other published supporting evidence, and expert consensus considering the Canadian healthcare context, with the intention of promoting best practices and improving healthcare delivery for patients with AAV.
Keywords: ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS; CONSENSUS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE; DRUG THERAPY; PRACTICE GUIDELINES; QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE; VASCULITIS.