Indomethacin in In-Patient Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

A cross-over trial of indomethacin and soluble aspirin has been conducted in in-patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The Indomethacin was increased from 50 to 100 mg. during the treatment period but the dose of soluble aspirin was maintained at 4 g daily. A method of analysis has been used which dissociates drug effect from other factors which may lead to the improvement with time usually observed in hospitalized patients regardless of medication. This has re-emphasized the important contribution of these factors. Comparison of the two drugs has shown that strength of gripimproved to be a greater extent during indomethacin treatment and that this result was just significant at the 5 per cent, level. Decrease in swelling of proximal interphalangeal joings was very similar during treatment with the two drugs but 21 patients preferred soluble aspirin, whereas thirteen preferred indomethacin, and the remaining seven had no preference. It is concluded that indomethacin should not replace aspirin in the routine treatment of in-patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However some patients appear to do better with indomethacin and it may therefore be useful in selected cases.