[Nimesil effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Effektivnost' nimesila pri revmatoidnom artrite.

Clinical efficiency and safety of nimesil were studied in the multicenter open clinical trial of 52 patients with verified rheumatoid arthritis. Nimesil was given for 12 weeks in a daily dose 200-400 mg in addition to basic therapy. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed after 4 and 8 weeks of the treatment and after its end. The treatment produced a significant positive response of the articular syndrome. Marked improvement was registered in 11 (23.4%) patients, improvement--in 33 (79.2%) patients. Side effects were reversible and occurred in 8 (15.3%) patients. In 5 patients the drug was withdrawn. The conclusion is made on high efficiency and good tolerance of nimesil in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

[A multicenter evaluation of efficacy and tolerance in the local treatment with dolgit cream of patients with osteoarthrosis]. / Mnogotsentrovaia otsena éffektivnosti i perenosimosti lokal'noi terapii kremom dolgit u bol'nykh osteoartrozom.

A 2-week clinical trial of cream dolgit efficacy and tolerance in 76 patients with primary osteoarthritis in 8 rheumatological centers showed this preparation to reduce local pain syndrome in 70.1%, palpation pain sensitivity in 79.2%, joint swelling in 75.5% of patients. Unwanted reactions in the form of skin itch at the site of application were reported in 7.8% of cases.

[THe treatment of patients with chronic disease: the viewpoint of the physician and of the patient (exemplified by rheumatoid arthritis)]. / Lechenie bol'nykh khronicheskim zabolevaniem: tochka zreniia vracha i bol'nogo (na primere revmatoidnogo artrita).

The opinions of the experts and the patients with rheumatic arthritis in relation to the disease treatment and preventive measures have been analyzed. The views of the physicians coincided more frequently than those of the patients. It is emphasized that patients benefit from group and individual training, especially from individual conversations.

[The problems, mental disorders and quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients]. / Problemy, psikhicheskie narusheniia i kachestvo zhizni bol'nykh revmatoidnym artritom.

There were 157 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Of these, only 65 patients (41.4%) failed to show any factor at the disease onset, which could be estimated as provoking. Psychoemotional factor was most common (in 47.7% of cases). Later the indicated factor played a more important part: only 5.1% of the patients denied or doubted it. In most cases, the distress was caused by family relations. There was an appreciable difference in the intensity of the problems in family and single patients. Affective disorders (neurotic and hypopsychotic depressions) were mostly recorded among mental disorders. The life quality determined in accordance with the self-estimation of the "health" and happiness" noticeably depended both on biological factors (pain intensity, the degree of damage to the bones and joints, and the disease stage) and on social factors--the educational level and social position. The degree of personality merits defined according to the self-estimation of the "mentality" and "character" appeared higher in persons with higher education and in patients suffering from erosive arthritis. The data obtained provide evidence for the necessity of psychosomatic orientation of practicing physicians.

[Intra-articular administration of glucocorticoids in rheumatoid arthritis from the doctor and patient's viewpoint]. / Vnutrisustavnoe vvedenie gliukokortikoidov pri revmatoidnom artrite--otsenka vracha i bol'nogo.

Based on the opinions of 20 expert rheumatologists from two rheumatological hospitals a number of important assumptions are provided relative to the intraarticular administration of glucocorticoids in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The viewpoints appeared to be many and varied even within the frameworks of the same hospital. The ranging of some rehabilitation factors in certain parameters (efficacy, danger, availability, and so forth) demonstrated that the technique of intraarticular punctures is an effective and popular enough method for the treatment of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The doctors' assessments of the method were on the whole higher as compared to the patients' assessment (66 patients with rheumatoid arthritis). There were appreciable differences in the correlation ratios among the doctors as regards the assessments "effective--ineffective" and "I know it very well based on my own experience"--I know it poorly". These differences (from 0.10 to 0.89) evidence the existence of both authoritative doctors and doctors who rely on the generally accepted opinions rather than on their own experience, accounting for controversies in subjective estimates.

[Use of high doses of glucocorticoids in patients with rheumatic diseases]. / Primenenie vysokikh doz gliukokortikoidov u bol'nykh s revmaticheskimi zabolevaniiami.

Short-term application of high doses of glucocorticoids removes the acuity of the generalized patterns of systemic rheumatic diseases. This is documented by the reported data and analysis of the authors' own 15 observations. The dose of glucocorticoids, duration of their application and administration routes are determined by the degree of the pathological process activity and by the organs concerned (kidneys, central nervous system). If the effect attained is doubtful, repeated courses of intensive treatment with glucocorticoids are indicated in some cases.

[Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and psychotropic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / Effektivnost' nesteroidnykh protivovospalitel'nykh i psikhotropnykh sredstv u bol'nykh revmatoidnym artritom.

The authors provide the data on comparative efficacy of different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (220 studies), psychotropic drugs (32 cases) and combined therapy (58 cases). All the studies were made by the double blind method with the use of placebo (38 cases). As for the psychotropic drugs, use was made of the tranquilizer relanium, mild activating neuroleptic sonapax, and tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline. Combined therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and psychotropic drugs appeared the most efficacious. It is suggested that this is connected both with potentiation of the analgesic effect of the antirheumatic drugs and with the action on the psychological distress playing a definite role in the disease development.