International journal of rheumatic diseases
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Multicenter Study
Pediatric rheumatology consultant workforce in Australia and New Zealand: the current state of play and challenges for the future.
There have been no formal assessments of current levels of the pediatric rheumatology workforce in Australia and New Zealand. Despite this it is felt that we fall well behind international guidelines placing children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases at risk of suboptimal care. Overcoming this shortfall in specialist pediatric rheumatology care requires documentation and recognition of the shortfall and a commitment from the health system to support improvements to supplement the current specialist workforce. The purpose of this survey was to assess the current state of play of the pediatric rheumatology workforce in Australia and New Zealand. ⋯ Currently in Australia and New Zealand we fail to provide the level of care to children with pediatric rheumatic diseases comparable to other developed health economies worldwide. The current deficiency requires an increase in resource allocation to clinical service and speciality training to overcome this disparity and ensure children in Australia and New Zealand receive internationally recognized standards of care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and safety results from a Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of subcutaneous golimumab in Chinese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate therapy.
The efficacy and safety of golimumab + methotrexate (MTX) were evaluated in Chinese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite MTX therapy. ⋯ Among MTX-experienced Chinese patients with active RA, a significantly greater proportion of patients receiving golimumab + MTX had improvements in the signs and symptoms of RA compared with MTX monotherapy. Safety findings were consistent with previous studies of golimumab in patients with RA.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Efficacy and safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in Asian patients with knee osteoarthritis: summary of a randomized, placebo-controlled study.
To compare the efficacy, tolerability and safety of celecoxib, naproxen and placebo in Asian patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. ⋯ Celecoxib and naproxen were comparable in their effects to reduce the signs and symptoms of knee OA in Asian patients. Celecoxib was shown to be safe and well tolerated in this patient population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
An allopurinol-controlled, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel between-group, comparative study of febuxostat in Chinese patients with gout and hyperuricemia.
Febuxostat, a novel non-purine selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, has been identified as a potential alternative to allopurinol in patients with hyperuricemia. The purpose of this study was to compare the urate-lowering (UL) efficacy and safety of daily febuxostat and allopurinol in Chinese gout patients with hyperuricemia. ⋯ The UL efficacy of daily febuxostat 80 mg was greater than that of febuxostat 40 mg and allopurinol 300 mg, which exhibited comparable UL efficacy. Safety of febuxostat and allopurinol was comparable at the doses tested.
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Practice Guideline Multicenter Study
Current considerations for the management of musculoskeletal pain in Asian countries: a special focus on cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and non-steroid anti-inflammation drugs.
Chronic pain is a complex problem that eludes precise definition and can be clinically difficult to diagnose and challenging to treat. In the Asia-Pacific region, prevalence estimates that chronic pain ranges from 12% to 45% of the population, with musculoskeletal, rheumatic or osteoarthritis pain making up the majority of the disease burden. Implementation of current management guidelines into routine clinical practice has been challenging and as a result, patients with musculoskeletal pain are often poorly managed. ⋯ Treatment must be individualized for each patient based on efficacy, side-effect profile and drug accessibility. Further studies are required to examine head-to-head comparisons among analgesics, combinations of analgesics and long-term efficacy outcomes. Our increasing understanding of the problem combined with the promise of new therapy options offers hope for improved management of musculoskeletal pain in Asian countries.