Clin Exp Rheumatol
-
Review Comparative Study
Guidelines for clinical studies assessing the efficacy of drugs for the management of acute low back pain.
In this paper we propose guidelines for clinical trials aimed at assessing the efficacy of drugs for acute non-specific low back pain (LBP) with or without radicular pain, preliminary to their approval and registration. To this end, consensus statements were obtained from a group of experts in the fields of rheumatology, clinical medicine, public health and epidemiology. EBM resources were systematically used as references. ⋯ Adverse events (AE) should be monitored systematically using a methodology that reflects the mode of action of the tested drug. With the application of these guidelines, LBP could serve as an appropriate disease for testing analgesic drugs. Rigorous evaluation may also help to improve the management of acute LBP.
-
A case of acute neurologic deficit accompanied by a cerebral angiogram consistent with CNS vasculitis is presented. The differential diagnosis and diagnostic decision process generated in this type of evaluation is illustrated.