Corticosteroid prescribing in rheumatoid arthritis--the fiction and the fact.
The results of a postal questionnaire to consultant rheumatologists (80% response rate) suggest that most comply with current teaching regarding the indications for systemic corticosteroids in articular rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They are prescribed as a last resort and most frequently in the elderly. However, a review of 100 consecutive RA out-patients revealed 24 patients currently taking corticosteroids at a mean prednisolone dosage of 5.6 mg daily. Only two had been prescribed these drugs for extra-articular problems. In 11 cases the treatment was not initiated by a rheumatologist. The discrepancies between the two surveys are discussed.
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010820:Physicians; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones