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Study: Most uveitis specialists do not follow practice guidelines
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CHICAGO — The mean dose of corticosteroids used by uveitis specialists is too high, the duration of therapy is too short and the use of steroid-sparing therapy is underutilized, according to a paper presented here.
 Quan Dong Nguyen |
About 75% of uveitis specialists surveyed are either unaware or do not follow preferred practice guidelines for the management of uveitis, Quan Dong Nguyen, MD, said at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology.
In the retrospective, multicenter chart review involving 60 ophthalmologists and 3 rheumatologists caring for 580 patients, the mean dose of systemic corticosteroids was between 38 mg and 46 mg per day — dose ranges that are higher than established in practice guidelines released in 2000 and reinforced by the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature Working Group in 2005.
According to Dr. Nguyen, the mean duration of corticosteroid therapy was 21 months, which was, again, discordant with recommendations. As well, only around 12% of patients in the sampling where administered immunomodulatroy agents, Dr. Nguyen said. "Our gap here is to educate the medical community in reinforcing the treatment guidelines to make sure our patients are treated properly," Dr. Nguyen said.