ASSESSMENT OF SALSALATE, A NONACETYLATED SALICYLATE, IN THE TREATMENTOF PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS

This study evaluated physicians' use of the occurrence of tinnitus as a tool to establish the optimal dosage of salsalate, a nonacetylated s alicylate, in patients with arthritis treated in routine clinical prac tice. The use of printed educational materials to improve compliance w as also studied prospectively. A total of 782 patients were enrolled i n this 3-week study by 95 general practitioners in an office setting. Of the 771 assessable patients, 90.0% had osteoarthritis, 9.7% had rhe umatoid arthritis, and 0.3% had both types of arthritis. Most patients experienced improvement of symptoms after 3 weeks of treatment. There were no differences in the rates of improvement at the first and thir d weeks of treatment between patients with osteoarthritis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, duration of arthritis had no effect on rates of improvement. Rates of patient satisfaction tended t o increase over the study period. Rates of patient satisfaction did no t differ significantly at the first and third weeks between patients w ho did receive printed educational materials and those who did not. Tr eatment was discontinued in 234 patients (30.4%) because of side effec ts. The most frequent reasons for discontinuation were gastrointestina l symptoms (n = 102; 13.2%) and tinnitus (n = 52; 6.7%). The clinical effectiveness and safety of salsalate were confirmed in patients with arthritis in routine clinical practice settings.