Jane Bleasel

Prognosis in patients with recent onset low back pain in Australian primary care: inception cohort study

Objective To estimate the one year prognosis and identify prognostic factors in cases of recent onset low back pain managed in primary care. Design Cohort study with one year follow-up. Setting Primary care clinics in Sydney, Australia. Participants An inception cohort of 973 consecutive primary care patients (mean age 43.3, 54.8% men) with non-specific low back pain of less than two weeks’ duration recruited from the clinics of 170 general practitioners, physiotherapists, and chiropractors. Main outcome measures Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and were contacted six weeks, three months, and 12 months after the initial consultation. Recovery was assessed in terms of return to work, return to function, and resolution of pain. The association between potential prognostic factors and time to recovery was modelled with Cox regression. Results The follow-up rate over the 12 months was more than 97%. Half of those who reduced their work status at baseline had returned to previous work status within 14 days (95% confidence interval 11 to 17 days) and 83% had returned to previous work status by three months. Disability (median recovery time 31 days, 25 to 37 days) and pain (median 58 days, 52 to 63 days) took much longer to resolve. Only 72% of participants had completely recovered 12 months after the baseline consultation. Older age, compensation cases, higher pain intensity, longer duration of low back pain before consultation, more days of reduced activity because of lower back pain before consultation, feelings of depression, and a perceived risk of persistence were each associated with a longer time to recovery. Conclusions In this cohort of patients with acute low back pain in primary care, prognosis was not as favourable as claimed in clinical practice guidelines. Recovery was slow for most patients. Nearly a third of patients did not recover from the presenting episode within a year.

First Fracture Project: addressing the osteoporosis care gap.

Patients sustaining a low‐trauma fracture are at greater risk of subsequent fracture, but as a group are poorly managed. We report the development of our ‘First Fracture Project’, in which we attempt to assess all patients over 50 years of age with a low‐trauma fracture attending orthopaedic fracture clinics and treat osteopenia and osteoporosis. We found that the First Fracture Project has greatly increased our success in improving delivery of osteoporosis care to appropriate at‐risk patients.

Effect of leflunomide on the peripheral nerves in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the neurophysiological effects of leflunomide on peripheral nerves in rheumatoid arthritis.

Characteristics of patients with acute low back pain presenting to primary care in Australia.

Objectives This study aimed to provide a comprehensive profile of a representative sample of patients with acute low back pain drawn from the primary care setting. A secondary aim was to determine whether patient characteristics are associated with pain intensity or disability at the initial consultation. Methods A total of 1172 consecutive patients with acute low back pain presenting to clinics of primary care practitioners (general practitioners, physiotherapists, and chiropractors) in Australia were recruited. Pain intensity and level of disability were measured at the first consultation, and a range of other variables were measured to describe the patients characteristics. The characteristics were then grouped into 7 distinct factors: demographic, social, cultural, general health, psychologic, past low back pain history, and current low back pain history. Hierarchical linear regression models were used to determine each factors independent relationship with pain intensity and disability. Results The majority of patients reported having had a previous episode of low back pain (75.7%), and that the current episode was of sudden onset (76.7%). Only a small proportion (14.3%) had compensable back pain. Pain intensity and disability were associated with each other (P<0.01), current low back pain history (P<0.01), and psychologic (P<0.01) characteristics. Discussion In a representative sample of acute low back pain patients in primary care, we found that the profile included only a small proportion of patients with compensable low back pain. Those without compensation were more likely to remain at work despite low back pain. Psychologic and other patient characteristics were associated with pain intensity and level of disability at the initial consultation.

Prognosis of acute low back pain: design of a prospective inception cohort study

BackgroundClinical guidelines generally portray acute low back pain as a benign and self-limiting condition. However, evidence about the clinical course of acute low back pain is contradictory and the risk of subsequently developing chronic low back pain remains uncertain. There are few high quality prognosis studies and none that have measured pain, disability and return to work over a 12 month period. This study aims to provide the first estimates of the one year prognosis of acute low back pain (pain of less than 2 weeks duration) in patients consulting primary care practitioners. A secondary aim is to identify factors that are associated with the prognosis of low back pain.Methods/DesignThe study is a prospective inception cohort study. Consecutive patients consulting general medical practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors in the Sydney metropolitan region will complete a baseline questionnaire regarding their back pain. Subsequently these patients will be followed up by telephone 6 weeks, 3 months and 12 months after the initial consultation. Patients will be considered to have recovered from the episode of back pain if they have no pain and no limitation of activity, and have returned to pre-injury work status. Life tables will be generated to determine the one year prognosis of acute low back pain. Prognostic factors will be assessed using Cox regression.DiscussionThis study will provide the first estimates of the one year prognosis of acute low back pain in a representative sample of primary care patients.

Meningococcal-associated arthritis: infection versus immune-mediated.

The frequency of arthritis complicating acute meningococcal disease in adults ranges from 4 to 50%. Neisseria meningitidis is associated with several forms of arthritis. Septic arthritis may occur in isolation or manifest at the time of primarymeningitis or bacteraemia. A second type is an immune-mediated arthritis. This may occur as a late complication of meningococcal infection. We present a case with characteristics of both septic and immunemediated arthritis. A 62-year-old man presented with a 3-day history of sweats andmigratory polyarthralgia. He was commenced on celecoxib, and 1 day later he developed a maculopapular, pruritic rash. Three weeks before presentation, the patient had experienced a productive cough, sore throat and rigors that resolved without treatment. He denied

Telopeptides as markers of bone turnover in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine if urinary excretion of type I collagen N‐terminal telopeptides (UrNTx) and deoxypyridinoline (UrDPD) and serum levels of type I collagen C‐terminal telopeptides (SeCTx) differed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with populations matched for age and gender with and without osteoarthritis (OA). The correlation of markers of bone turnover with disease activity in patients with RA or radiographic severity in patients with OA was also examined.

Role of Autoantibodies in the Diagnosis of Connective-Tissue Disease ILD (CTD-ILD) and Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features (IPAF)

The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) requires meticulous evaluation for an underlying connective tissue disease (CTD), with major implications for prognosis and management. CTD associated ILD (CTD-ILD) occurs most commonly in the context of an established CTD, but can be the first and/or only manifestation of an occult CTD or occur in patients who have features suggestive of an autoimmune process, but not meeting diagnostic criteria for a defined CTD—recently defined as “interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features” (IPAF). The detection of specific autoantibodies serves a critical role in the diagnosis of CTD-ILD, but there remains a lack of data to guide clinical practice including which autoantibodies should be tested on initial assessment and when or in whom serial testing should be performed. The implications of detecting autoantibodies in patients with IPAF on disease behaviour and management remain unknown. The evaluation of CTD-ILD is challenging due to the heterogeneity of presentations and types of CTD and ILD that may be encountered, and thus it is imperative that immunologic tests are interpreted in conjunction with a detailed rheumatologic history and examination and multidisciplinary collaboration between respiratory physicians, rheumatologists, immunologists, radiologists and pathologists.

Osteoporosis: A possible aetiological factor in the development of Scheuermann's disease.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that spinal osteoporosis is an aetiological factor in the development of Scheuermanns disease in adolescents. Clinical and radiological data was collected on 12 individuals with Scheuermanns disease (SD). Lumbar spine bone mineral density (L2–4) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Age and sex-matched adolescents were used as controls. The number of standard deviations from the mean of age and sex-matched controls were calculated. In regards to results, SD patients demonstrated high bone densities of between 1 and 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of age-matched controls. These results suggest that osteoporosis is not an aetiological factor in Scheuermanns disease and that bone density measurements may indeed be higher than aged-matched controls in the general population.

The interstitial lung disease multidisciplinary meeting: A position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Lung Foundation Australia†

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a diverse group of pulmonary diseases for which accurate diagnosis is critical for optimal treatment outcomes. Diagnosis of ILD can be challenging and a multidisciplinary approach is recommended in international guidelines. The purpose of this position paper is to review the evidence for the use of the multidisciplinary meeting (MDM) in ILD and suggest an approach to its governance and constitution, in an attempt to provide a standard methodology that could be applied across Australia and New Zealand. This position paper is endorsed by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Lung Foundation Australia (LFA).