Resumen de Estudio de utilización de infliximab en la enfermedad de Crohn
Mónica Izuel Rami, Josefa Carcelén-Andrés, María Ángeles Allende Bandrés, Mª J. Agustín Ferrández, Elena Urbieta Sanz
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and the safety of infliximab (INFX) in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD). Material and method: Retrospective study of all the patients with diagnosis of CD treated with infliximab (INFX) from April 1999 to March 2003. Results: 26 patients with CD under treatment with INFX were studied. 42.3% women and 57.7% men. Average age of 41.4 years. 65.4% displayed fistulating CD and 30.7% CD of inflammatory pattern. At the beginning of treatment with INFX, 65.4% of the patients received corticoids as opposed to 15.4% at the end of the study, 80.8% had immunosuppressant therapy and the 76.5% with fistulating CD received chronic treatment with antibiotics (15.4% at the end). The average number of hospital admisions was lowered from 0.46 to 0.18 per year. The administered dosage was 5 mg/kg. In 2 patients, it was increased to 10 mg/kg. 57.7 % of patients required maintenance doses of INFX. The side effects related to INFX were: infusion reactions in 8 patients, abscesses in 2, Herpes Zoster in 1, weight gain in 2, articular pain in 1 and asthenia and constipation in 1. Conclusions: The use of INFX is adjusted to the recommendations of the Spanish Association of Gastroenterology. The treatment with INFX has proven to be effective and safe. It would be advisable the creation of a protocol in which it would be clarified the use of greater doses of INFX, and the re-treatment
