RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis for haematogenous bacterial arthritis in patients with joint disease. METHODS: In a decision analysis, data from a prospective study on bacterial arthritis in 4907 patients with joint disease were combined with literature data to assess risks and benefits of antibiotic prophylaxis. Effectiveness and cost effectiveness calculations were performed on antibiotic prophylaxis for various patient groups. Grouping was based on (a) type of event leading to transient bacteraemia-that is, infections (dermal, respiratory/urinary tract) and invasive medical procedures-and (b) the patient's susceptibility to bacterial arthritis which was increased in the presence of rheumatoid arthritis, large joint prostheses, comorbidity, and old age. RESULTS: Of the patients with joint disease, 59% had no characteristics that increased susceptibility to bacterial arthritis, and 31% had one. For dermal infections, the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis was maximally 35 quality adjusted life days (QALDs) and the cost effectiveness maximally $52 000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY). For other infections, the effectiveness of prophylaxis was lower and the cost effectiveness higher. Prophylaxis for invasive medical procedures seemed to be acceptable only in patients with high susceptibility: 1 QALD at a cost of $1300/QALY; however, the results were influenced substantially when the level of efficacy of the prophylaxis or cost of prophylactic antibiotics was changed. CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis seems to be indicated only for dermal infections, and for infections of the urinary and respiratory tract in patients with increased susceptibility to bacterial arthritis. Prophylaxis for invasive medical procedures, such as dental treatment, may only be indicated for patients with joint disease who are highly susceptible.
Assuntos
Combinação Amoxicilina e Clavulanato de Potássio/uso terapêutico , Antibioticoprofilaxia/economia , Artrite Infecciosa/tratamento farmacológico , Técnicas de Apoio para a Decisão , Quimioterapia Combinada/uso terapêutico , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Combinação Amoxicilina e Clavulanato de Potássio/economia , Artrite Infecciosa/economia , Artrite Infecciosa/etiologia , Artrite Reumatoide/complicações , Intervalos de Confiança , Análise Custo-Benefício , Quimioterapia Combinada/economia , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Próteses e Implantes , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida , Curva ROC , Infecções Respiratórias/tratamento farmacológico , Fatores de Risco , Dermatopatias Bacterianas/tratamento farmacológico , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Operatórios , Infecções Urinárias/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
Seventy-nine patients suffering from rheumatoid factor positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were included in this study. In each patient disease activity was assessed three times at two-week intervals during a four-week period. All factors that might possibly influence RA, except atmospheric conditions (AC) were held constant as far as possible. Current AC parameters were obtained from the local observatory of the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute. There were no relevant correlations between AC and RA variables. Also relations between changes in AC variables preceding the disease activity assessment or between changes in AC variables and RA variables were not seen. By means of factor analysis, uncorrelated factors pertaining to RA or to weather were extracted. No clear association between any of the AC variables and any of the RA variables was noted. Our results do not support the widely accepted, but insufficiently documented, influence of weather on RA.