[Danish recommendations on treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloarthritis based on multinational project initiative].
BACKGROUND
The multinational initiative "3e Initiative in Rheumatology - Multi-national Recommendations for the Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis 2006-7" served the primary purpose of providing specific recommendations for the management of ankylosing spondylitis and spondyloarthritis patients in daily practice.


METHODS
The scientific committees from the ten participating countries selected nine clinical questions regarding diagnosis, monitoring and pharmacologic non-biologic treatment, and the Danish group chose 2 additional questions about non-pharmacologic treatment. Systematic literature searches were performed in Medline by 3 international and a Danish bibliographic fellow. Outcome data were extracted and processed by use of routine methods from clinical epidemiology and statistics. The evidence was presented to the Danish rheumatologists. The participants were divided into three groups, which each proposed recommendations. After a final plenary discussion, a voting session took place. Subsequently, agreement was obtained, and the strength of the recommendations was graded.


RESULTS
The bibliographic fellows identified 2,709 relevant manuscripts and included 477 of these in the analysis. All 186 Danish rheumatologists were invited, and 26 (14,0%) participated in the meeting held in Copenhagen, December 2006. The individual recommendations were endorsed by 68-100% of the participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the framework of the multinational 3e project, it was possible to develop Danish recommendations for AS patients by combining an evidence-based approach and the experience of clinical rheumatologists.
Pedersen
Susanne Juhl
SJ
Medicinsk Reumatologisk Geriatrisk Afdeling Q107, Herlev Hospital, DK-2730 Herlev. susanne_juhl_ped@dadlnet.dk
Madsen
Ole Rintek
OR
Erlendsson
Jon
J
Schiøttz-Christensen
Berit
B
Sørensen
Inge Juul
IJ
Andersen
Lis Smedegaard
LS
Ostergaard
Mikkel
M
D003718:Denmark; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy