6533b824fe1ef96bd12801a7
RESEARCH PRODUCT
A cross-sectional, multicentre study of the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis relapses in Italy.
Giovanni Frisullo 2Simona MalucchiPaolo RagoneseGiovanna De Luca 2Eleonora Cocco 2Benedetta BodiniBenedetta BodiniCinzia CordioliDamiano PaolicelliClaudio GasperiniIlaria PesciLuca RoccatagliataMariaemma RodegherAntonio GalloMarta RadaelliMassimiliano Calabrese 1Valentina TomassiniValentina TomassiniValentina ZipoliCarla TortorellaMarco VercellinoClaudio SolaroPietro AnnovazziLaura Boffasubject
MalePediatricsNeurologyCross-sectional studymulti center studyAdrenal Cortex HormoneAdrenal Cortex HormonesRecurrenceSurveys and QuestionnairesMultiple SclerosiCorticosteroidSurveys and QuestionnaireRelapseSurveyNeuroradiologyGeneral MedicineMiddle AgedManagementPsychiatry and Mental healthMethylprednisoloneItalyNeurologyPsychiatry and Mental Healthmultiple sclerosiSettore MED/26 - NeurologiaFemaleNeurosurgerymedicine.drugHumanAdultmedicine.medical_specialtyMultiple SclerosisDermatologyMethylprednisolonemedicineHumansMedical prescriptionCross-Sectional Studietherapybusiness.industryMultiple sclerosismedicine.diseaseManagement of multiple sclerosisCross-Sectional StudiesHealth Care SurveyHealth Care SurveysPhysical therapyNeurology (clinical)business2708description
Despite the existence of therapeutic guidelines, management of multiple sclerosis relapse remains heterogeneous. Optimisation of relapse outcome demands an improved understanding of the neurologist's therapeutic attitude towards relapse management, which is the aim of this study. Neurologists from 13 multiple sclerosis centres completed a questionnaire every time they assessed multiple sclerosis relapses. The questionnaire requested a guided description of the relapse's clinical characteristics and an indication of the prescribed therapy, supported with up to 3 out of 20 suggested reasons. Over 3 months, 368 questionnaires were collected. Median percentage (%) of 21 relapses resulting in a prescription was 88.9%. Corticosteroids represented the most frequent prescription. A short-course of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone was the most used corticosteroid (73.7%). Treatment was administrated mainly in day case unit (80.0%) and at home (13.6%). A tapered therapy was prescribed to 28.8% of patients. Neurologists' therapeutic decisions were driven mainly by relapse severity (45.3%) and symptom evolution (24.2%). Our study confirms the therapeutic attitude of multiple sclerosis specialists in treating relapses with high-dose intravenous corticosteroids in a day hospital setting, with a tapering in a proportion of cases. The main reasons for prescription are relapse severity and symptom evolution. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-01 |