Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
Clinical features and outcomes of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
To analyze the clinical features and outcomes of patients with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome(PRES), the risk factors of PRES-related intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and all-cause mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ⋯ PRES frequently occurs during active SLE with multiple complications. Hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia may contribute to PRES-related ICH. The extra neurologic disease activity of lupus during PRES may influence the mortality rate of SLE patients.
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyGolimumab, a human anti–tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody, injected subcutaneously every 4 weeks in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who had never taken methotrexate: 1-year and 2-year clinical, radiologic, and physical function findings of a phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
To assess 2-year golimumab efficacy/safety in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had never taken methotrexate (MTX). ⋯ In RA patients who had never taken MTX, up to 2 years of golimumab + MTX yielded sustained improvements in clinical signs/symptoms, physical function, and radiographic progression.
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyUtility of the PedsQL rheumatology module as an outcome measure in juvenile fibromyalgia.
The PedsQL rheumatology module is currently the only available measure of disease-specific quality of life for children and adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia (FM), but limited information has been published about the psychometric properties of the instrument, specifically in juvenile FM. The objective of this study was to assess there liability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the 5 scales (pain and hurt, daily activities, treatment, worry, and communication) of the patient and parent proxy versions of the PedsQL rheumatology module in the context of a randomized controlled trial in juvenile FM. ⋯ The PedsQL rheumatology module generally appears to have good utility for use in juvenile FM patients, but there are some caveats to the interpretation of specific scales in this population.
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
ReviewAssessment of chronic postsurgical pain after knee replacement: a systematic review.
Approximately 20% of patients experience chronic pain after total knee replacement (TKR), yet there is no consensus about how best to assess such pain. This systematic review aimed to identify measures used to characterize chronic pain after TKR.Methods. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases were searched for research articles published in all languages from January 2002 to November 2011. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they assessed knee pain at a minimum of 3 months after TKR, yielding a total of 1,164 articles. The data extracted included the study design,country, timings of assessments, and outcome measures containing pain items. The outcome measures were compared with domains recommended by the Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials(IMMPACT) for inclusion in the assessment of chronic pain–related outcomes within clinical trials. Temporal trends were also explored. ⋯ There was wide variation in the methods of pain assessment alongside nation-specific preferences and changing temporal trends in pain assessment after TKR. Standardization and improvements in assessment are needed to enhance the quality of research and facilitate the establishment of a core outcome set.
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
Clinical characteristics and medication uses among fibromyalgia patients newly prescribed amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin, or pregabalin.
Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain disorder with unclear etiology. No definitive treatment is available for fibromyalgia, and treatment with antidepressants or antiepileptics is often used for symptom management. ⋯ Patients who started 1 of the 4 common drugs for fibromyalgia similarly had multiple comorbidities and other fibromyalgia-related medication use, but continued the treatment only for a short time. The dose of the 4 drugs was not increased in most patients during the followup period.