Table 1.
Adverse reaction profiles for sulphasalazine and mesalazine according to disease indication for prescribing for the period 1991–1998 (absolute numbers)
| Sulphasalazine | Mesalazine | ||||||
| RA | IBD | Other* | Total | IBD | Other* | Total | |
| Interstitial nephritis (23%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0%) | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Pancreatitis (17%) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 (3%) | 18 | 3 | 21 |
| Skin reactions (11%) | 15 | 0 | 6 | 21(11%) | 12 | 2 | 14 |
| Hepatitis (7%) | 15 | 9 | 4 | 28 (15%) | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Blood dyscrasias (42%) | 80 | 25 | 24 | 129 (71%) | 48 | 3 | 51 |
| Total | 112 | 36 | 35 | 183 | 115 | 9 | 124 |
IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.
*Other includes unknown diagnosis and diagnoses other than RA, such as psoriatic athropathy and non-specific arthritis.
4.7×106 sulphasalazine and 2.8×106 mesalazine prescriptions were issued.
For sulphasalazine, disease indications for prescribing: RA=1.75×106 prescriptions, IBD=2.92×106 prescriptions.