Related Experiment Videos
Mesalamine in ulcerative colitis
1Department of Pharmacy Services, Hartford Hospital, CT 06115.
DICP : the Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|February 1, 1991
Summary
Sulfasalazine for ulcerative colitis causes side effects in 20% of patients. Mesalamine enemas are effective for distal ulcerative colitis but are costly, reserved for refractory cases.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Sulfasalazine is a long-standing treatment for ulcerative colitis.
- Adverse effects, often linked to the sulfapyridine component, affect up to 20% of patients.
- 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is the other active component of sulfasalazine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of mesalamine enemas in treating ulcerative colitis.
- To compare mesalamine enemas with conventional treatments for ulcerative colitis.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical trials on mesalamine enema preparations.
- Analysis of efficacy in refractory cases of distal ulcerative colitis, proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis.
Main Results:
- Mesalamine enemas demonstrated efficacy in treating refractory distal ulcerative colitis, proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis.
- Mesalamine is the only 5-ASA enema currently available in the U.S.
Conclusions:
- Mesalamine enemas are an effective treatment option for specific forms of ulcerative colitis.
- Due to higher costs, mesalamine enemas should be reserved for patients intolerant or refractory to conventional therapies.