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. 2015 Aug 14;10(8):e0135805. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135805

Table 2. Acute gout management: first choice drug(s) to treat an acute gouty attack in different scenarios (N = 309).

Gout attack Monoarticular Polyarticular
Symptoms’ onset <36 hours >36 hours <36 hours >36 hours
Health status Healthy 1 CKD 2 Healthy CKD Healthy CKD Healthy CKD
Scenario 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Medication % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%) % (CI 95%)
High colchicine 3 5.2 (2.7–7.7) 2.9 (1.0–4.8) 1.6 (0.2–3.0) 2.3 (0.6–3.9) 2.3 (0.6–3.9) 1.9 (0.4–3.5) 0.0 1.3 (0.0–2.6)
Low colchicine 4 16.5 (12.3–20.7) 23.0 (18.3–27.7) 6.8 (4.0–9.6) 12.3 (8.6–16.0) 3.2 (1.3–5.2) 8.7 (5.6–11.9) 3.2 (1.3–5.2) 6.5 (3.7–9.2)
NSAID 22.3 (17.7–27.0) 1.0 (0.0–2.1) 22.3 (17.7–27.0) 1.9 (0.4–3.5) 15.5 (11.5–19.6) 1.0 (0.0–2.1) 13.9 (10.0–17.8) 1.0 (0.0–2.1)
PO steroid 0.3 (0.0–1.0) 15.9 (11.8–20.0) 0.6 (0.0–1.5) 18.8 (14.4–23.1) 2.3 (0.6–3.9) 25.2 (20.4–30.1) 2.9 (1.0–4.8) 25.9 (21.0–30.8)
IM steroid 1.0 (0.0–2.1) 7.8 (4.8–10.8) 1.9 (0.4–3.5) 8.1 (5.0–11.1) 3.6 (1.5–5.6) 14.6 (10.6–18.5) 3.6 (1.5–5.6) 14.2 (10.3–18.2)
IA steroid 2.3 (0.6–3.9) 18.1 (13.8–22.4) 3.9 (1.7–6.0) 17.5 (13.2–21.7) 0.0 0.3 (0.0–1.0) 0.0 1.0 (0.0–2.1)
NSAID + colchicine 46.3 (40.7–51.9) 2.6 (0.8–4.4) 46.9 (41.3–52.5) 2.3 (0.66–3.9) 51.5 (45.9–57.1) 1.0 (0.0–2.1) 38.5 (33.1–44.0) 1.0 (0.0–2.1)
NSAID + steroid (PO/IM/IA) 1.9 (0.4–3.5) 1.3 (0.0–2.6) 6.8 (4.0–9.6) 1.3 (0.0–2.6) 6.8 (4.0–9.6) 1.6 (0.2–3.0) 14.2 (10.3–18.2) 1.6 (0.2–3.0)
Steroid (PO/IM/IA) + colchicine 4.2 (2.0–6.5) 27.5 (22.5–32.5) 9.1 (5.8–12.3) 35.6 (30.2–41.0) 14.9 (10.9–18.9) 45.6 (40.0–51.2) 23.6 (18.9–28.4) 47.6 (42.0–53.2)

1Healthy besides gout

2chronic kidney disease, defined here as creatinine clearance ≤60 ml/min

3colchicine 0.5 mg/hour until symptom resolution or side effect

4colchicine ≤2 mg/day. CI: confidence interval

NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PO: per os; IM: intramuscular; IA: intra-articular.