Clinical rheumatology
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Clinical rheumatology · Sep 2011
Coping style as a predictor of compliance with referral to active rehabilitation in whiplash patients.
The objective of the study was to determine the odds ratio for compliance with referral to an active treatment program according to coping style in a cohort of acute whiplash-injured subjects. Sixty whiplash patients were assessed within 1 week of their collision for their coping styles and were then questioned 3 weeks later to determine if they had complied with a referral for an active treatment program. Coping style was assessed with the Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory. ⋯ As a secondary outcome, the odds ratio for reporting prescription medication use for subjects who had a low active/high passive coping style was 6.7 (P=0.038) (95% CI, 1.1-40.4). Those whiplash patients who have a low active/high passive coping style are less likely to attend an active exercise-based rehabilitation program and more likely to use prescription medications in the first 3 weeks following injury. Coping style may affect recovery from whiplash injury through issues of compliance with active therapy and increased reliance on prescription medications.
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Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2011
Outcome of systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide.
Our objective was to audit the respiratory outcome, toxicity and long-term survival of systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) treated with intravenous (i.v.) cyclophosphamide. We ascertained whether i.v. cyclophosphamide associates with a better outcome in SSc-ILD diagnosed due to a decline in screening lung function than in those diagnosed due to respiratory symptoms. A retrospective case-note audit was carried out for SSc-ILD patients treated with i.v. cyclophosphamide between January 1999 and March 2009 at the Royal Derby, Kings Mill and Nottingham University Hospitals. ⋯ The 5-year survival was 76.1% (overall), 62.9% (diagnosed due to respiratory symptoms) and 91.5% (diagnosed due to decline in screening lung function, p = 0.05). I. V. cyclophosphamide stabilises lung function in individuals with SSc-ILD and may associate with better respiratory outcome in patients diagnosed on screening PFTs.
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Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2011
The relationship between serum antioxidant vitamins, magnesium levels, and clinical parameters in patients with primary fibromyalgia syndrome.
We proposed to assess serum antioxidant vitamins and magnesium (Mg) levels in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in comparison to healthy controls. Additionally, the association between the serum antioxidant vitamins, magnesium levels, and clinical parameters in FM patients was also investigated. Forty female patients, aged between 30 and 50 years, were diagnosed with FM according to ACR-1990 criteria, and 40 healthy controls were included in the present study. ⋯ There were no significant differences in the levels of vitamins A, C, and E and Mg between control subjects and patients with fibromyalgia (p > 0.05). In addition, no statistically significant correlations were found between mean levels of serum vitamins A, C, and E, and Mg and number of TP, scores of VAS, FIQ, and BDI in patients with FM (p > 0.05). According to the results of this study, it was asserted that other complex mechanism may play an important role in the pathophysiology of FM without plasma antioxidant vitamins and Mg levels.
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Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2011
Clinic and ultrasound findings related to pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
The aim of this study was to determine clinical and US factors associated with pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study included 143 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 94 patients with unilateral or bilateral knee pain ≥3 cm during physical activity for at least 48 h prior to inclusion, measured by the visual analog scale from 0 to 10 cm. ⋯ In group 2, the only US finding was Baker's cyst (6.1%). Regression analysis revealed that BMI, degree of knee flexion, and thickness of the quadriceps tendon were factors that were related with pain in the knee. Increased BMI, decrease in the degree of knee flexion, and decreased quadriceps tendon thickness are factors that increase the risk of pain in knee OA.
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Clinical rheumatology · Jul 2011
Review Meta Analysis Comparative StudyMoxibustion for rheumatic conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Moxibustion, an acupuncture-like intervention, is increasingly used in the management of rheumatic conditions. The aim of this review is to summarize and critically evaluate the trials testing effectiveness of moxibustion for major rheumatic conditions. Fourteen databases were searched from their inception through May 2010, without language restriction. ⋯ This systematic review fails to provide conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of moxibustion compared with drug therapy in rheumatic conditions. The total number of RCTs included in this review and their methodological quality were low. These limitations make it difficult to draw firm conclusions.