Nomograms used to define the short-term treatment with PGE(1) in patients with intermittent claudication and critical ischemia. The ORACL.E (Occlusion Revascularization in the Atherosclerotic Critical Limb) study group. The European study
G. Belcaro et al., Nomograms used to define the short-term treatment with PGE(1) in patients with intermittent claudication and critical ischemia. The ORACL.E (Occlusion Revascularization in the Atherosclerotic Critical Limb) study group. The European study, ANGIOLOGY, 51(8), 2000, pp. S3-S12
Infusional, cyclic PGE(1) treatment is effective in patients with intermitt
ent claudication and critical limb ischemia (CLI). One of the problems rela
ted to chronic PGE(1) treatment in vascular diseases due to atherosclerosis
is to evaluate the variations of clinical conditions due to treatment in o
rder to establish the number of cycles per year or per period (in severe va
scular disease reevaluation of patients should be more frequent) needed to
achieve clinical improvement. In a preliminary pilot study a group of 150 p
atients (mean age 67 +/- 12 years) with intermittent claudication (walking
range from 0 to 500 m) and a group of 100 patients with CLI (45% with rest
pain, and 55% gangrene; mean age 68 +/- 11 years) the number of PGE(1) cycl
es according to the short-term protocol (STP) needed to produce significant
clinical improvement was preliminarily evaluated. Considering these prelim
inary observations, the investigators established a research plan useful to
produce nomograms indicating the number of cycles of PGE(1)-STP per year n
eeded to improve the clinical condition (both in intermittent claudication
and CLI). A significant clinical improvement was arbitrarily defined as the
increase of at least 35% in walking distance (on treadmill) and/or the dis
appearance of signs and symptoms of critical ischemia in 6 months of treatm
ent in at least 75% of the treated patients. With consideration of the resu
lts obtained with the preliminary nomograms a larger validation of the nomo
grams is now advisable. A cost-effectiveness analysis is also useful to def
ine the efficacy of treatment on the basis of its costs. The publication of
this report in two angiological journals (Angeiologie and Angiology) will
open the research on nomograms to all centers willing to collaborate to the
study. The data are being collected in the ORACLE.E database and will be a
nalyzed within 12 months after the publication of this report.