Method for assessing therapeutic potential of anti-inflammatory antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis.

A 14-day, single-blind trial of prednisone, aspirin, and placebo was carried out in 128 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, using subjective criteria only (severity of pain daily on a pain chart and assessment of the drug for effectiveness). The average treated pain rating, mean patient satisfaction rating, and mean number of days withdrawn from each drug all showed significant differences between prednisone, aspirin, and placebo. Of various pretreatment observations, only the initial pain score and articular index of joint tenderness were significantly related to the average treated pain rating.The trial method is simple and allows many patients to participate without being time consuming for patient or physician. The method seems to have potential in comparing the comparative effectiveness of anti-inflammatory analgesics used in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.