Impact of treatment with biologic DMARDs on the risk of sepsis or mortality after serious infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This observational cohort study investigated the impact of biological (b) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the outcomes of serious infections (SIs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods

We investigated outcomes of SIs observed in 947 patients enrolled in the German biologics register RABBIT(Rheumatoid arthritis: observation of biologic therapy). Outcomes were (1) recovery without complication, (2) sepsis following SI (≤30 days), and (3) death after SI without known sepsis (≤90 days). We applied a multinomial generalised estimating equation model for longitudinal data to evaluate the risks of sepsis and death simultaneously.

Results

Sepsis within 30 days after SI was reported in 135 out of 947 patients, 85 of these had a fatal outcom

SUBMITTER: Richter A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5013078 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature