Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Education, Nursing , Hotlines , Inservice Training , Triage , Arizona , Curriculum , Humans , Program DevelopmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of rheumatic diseases in Han Chinese in north and south China. METHODS: Samples of 4192 adults in the Beijing (north) and 5057 in the Shantou (south) areas, based on village administration registers, were studied. The same questionnaire was administered by doctors who then examined those with rheumatic symptoms. One observer (QYZ) took part in both studies. RESULTS: The prevalence of definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was 0.34% (95% CI; 0.20-0.51) in the north and 0.32% (0.16-0.47) in the south. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was noted in 0.26% of both samples (95% CI; 0.11-0.42 north and 0.14-0.40 south). Only 3 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the north and one in the south were identified. General rheumatic pain was reported more frequently in the north. Lumbar problems were recorded on examination 5 times more frequently in the north than in the south [men, 25%:5.3%; women 38%:6.5%] and knee problems 10 times more frequently [men, 24%:1.8%; women, 36%:3.4%] in the north. The difference was greatest in the 55 to 64 year age group. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RA was similar to that in other rural populations and Japan, but only half that reported from other industrialized communities. The prevalence of AS was similar to that in most Caucasian populations. SLE was too infrequent to establish a prevalence with confidence, but did not differ from that in other populations. A study is planned in the south to assess the contribution of interobserver error and/or differences in cultural response to the north/south differences observed in the prevalence of general rheumatic symptoms and back pain.
Subject(s)
Rheumatic Diseases/epidemiology , Rural Population , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/epidemiology , China/epidemiology , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Female , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Spondylitis, Ankylosing/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
In 88.9% of a group of 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis participating in an open-label study with fenoprofen calcium (Nalfon), there was observed a mean titre decrease in level of rheumatoid factor as compared to baseline levels. In follow-up, three months to one year later, a uniform titre increase above the mean level of the study period had occurred. In all cases the titre returned to baseline levels or higher.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Fenoprofen/therapeutic use , Phenylpropionates/therapeutic use , Rheumatoid Factor/analysis , Calcium/therapeutic use , Clinical Trials as Topic , Double-Blind Method , Drug Evaluation , Gold/therapeutic use , HumansABSTRACT
Thirty patients with active definite or classic rheumatoid arthritis (RA), participated in a double-blind crossover study comparing fenoprofen calcium with placebo. All patients were receiving maintenance gold therapy. Fenoprofen was administered in doses ranging from 200 to 800 mg every six hours. The median daily dose was 1.8 gm. During this 16-week trial, most parameters of efficacy showed fenoprofen to be significantly more effective than placebo. Adverse reactions, which were minimal, suggest that fenoprofen will be useful in the management of patients with RA, particularly in those with gastrointestinal intolerance to the usually employed drugs. The longterm effectiveness in RA, and the side effects associated with chronic administration remain to be assessed.
