The Journal of rheumatology. Supplement
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Review
The efficacy and safety of antidepressants in inflammatory arthritis: a Cochrane systematic review.
To determine the efficacy and safety of antidepressants in pain management in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). ⋯ Based upon 9 trials of high or unclear risk of bias, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of TCA as analgesics for patients with IA. The use of these agents may be associated with adverse events that are generally mild and do not lead to cessation of treatment. High-quality trials are needed in this area.
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To systematically review the efficacy and safety of on-demand versus continuous use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) in patients with inflammatory arthritis and to assess if longterm continuous treatment with NSAID in comparison with NSAID treatment on-demand reduces radiographic progression. ⋯ Based on a single study, there does not seem to be a statistical difference in efficacy between the on-demand versus continuous use of NSAID in the context of ankylosing spondylitis. There were no studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or spondyloarthritis. Research is needed to study the risk-benefit ratio of continuous versus on-demand use of NSAID.
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To systematically review the available literature on measuring pain and the efficacy of pain treatment in inflammatory arthritis (IA), as an evidence base for generating clinical practice recommendations. ⋯ A variety of pain measures are available to cover different aspects of pain such as intensity, frequency, or location. Single-item tools such as VAS, NRS, or VRS can be recommended to measure overall pain in clinical practice. If more specific issues need to be addressed, more sophisticated tools should be taken into account.
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To assess efficacy and safety of pharmacological pain treatment in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and gastrointestinal (GI) or liver comorbidities. ⋯ Very little evidence regarding safety and efficacy of pain treatment in patients with IA and GI or hepatic comorbidities was found. In patients with a history of GI events, extrapolating from other studies, NSAID should be used cautiously since there is evidence that these patients are at a higher risk of developing adverse events.