Rheumatology and rehabilitation
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Sixty patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (mean ESR = 51 mm/h) were treated for six months with D-penicillamine (15 patients), sodium aurothiomalate (15 patients), hydroxychloroquine (15 patients) or enteric-coated aspirin (15 patients). The three groups receiving specific anti-rheumatoid therapy were also allowed enteric-coated aspirin in the dose of their choice as the only 'back-up' drug; the group treated with aspirin alone was encouraged to take the maximum tolerated dose. The mean duration of treatment tolerated by patients receiving aspirin alone was 12.3 weeks. ⋯ Those patients receiving an anti-rheumatoid drug showed serial improvements in ESR as the dose of aspirin required fell. Plasma salicylate concentrations correlated well with aspirin dosage. Even as an enteric-coated formulation, aspirin alone is not the treatment of choice for active rheumatoid disease.
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The effect of intra-articular injections of corticosteroids repeated over a period extending from four to 15 years on the radiological appearances of knee joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis has been studied. In 65 cases, the X-ray films of 15 showed no deterioration, 38 showed minimal or moderate deterioration, 10 showed marked deterioration and only 2 showed gross deterioration. The results do not support the contention that repeated intra-articular injections of corticosteroids will inevitably lead to rapid joint destruction. The authors are of the opinion that intraarticular injections of corticosteroids, if used judiciously, have an important part to play in the management of chronic arthritis.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
A trial of micro-encapsulated and enteric-coated aspirin in rheumatoid arthritis.
In a trial of 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, enteric-coated aspirin (4.55 g daily( and micro-encapsulated aspirin (4.50 g daily) proved to be equally effective in reducing morning stiffness, relieving pain, increasing grip strength, reducing ESR, and reducing the need for additional analgesic tablets, compared with placebo. Reduction of joint tenderness was also found, but this was not statistically significant. Proximal interphalangeal joint circumference altered little during the trial. ⋯ Of 39 patients completing the trial, there was an equal patient preference for enteric-coated aspirin and micro-encapsulated aspirin. Salicylate side-effects necessitated withdrawal of six patients from the trial and dose reduction in nine patients. It was concluded that the efficacy and side-effects in rheumatoid arthritis of both aspirin preparations were similar.