Title: Home administration of intravenous methylprednisolone for multiple sclerosis relapses: the experience of French multiple sclerosis networks
Abstract: One single center study has provided support for a home-based approach to the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse.To report a multicenter series of patients with MS who were treated at home for a relapse with a 3-day course of intravenous methylprednisolone.The home administration of intravenous methylprednisolone was coordinated by four MS networks in France; patients with MS with a relapse were referred by their neurologists, and treatment was administered by a local nurse. We analyzed the safety and efficiency of this approach and estimated the related cost savings. Patients completed a patient satisfaction questionnaire.Eight hundred and seven patients received intravenous methylprednisolone at home. The mean disease duration was 10.3 +/- 7.9 years. Treatment was often prescribed by community-based neurologists. The delay between prescription and treatment was 2.8 +/- 0.5 days if treatment was initiated at home and 1.9 +/- 3.0 days if treatment was initiated in hospital (the subsequent two injections were always administered at home). Home treatment was well tolerated; three serious side effects requiring hospital transfer were observed (anxiety, thoracic oppression, and arrhythmia), which were fully reversible. Overall, 93.8% of patients were satisfied with the treatment approach, and 98% wished to receive future treatment courses at home. The overall cost savings of home-based treatment versus hospital-based treatment were evaluated at EUR1,091,482.Safety data, patient satisfaction, and economic considerations support home-based treatment of MS relapses with intravenous methylprednisolone, provided strict patient selection criteria are observed and the process is coordinated and closely monitored by an MS network.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-06-25
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 15
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