Thermographic assessment of the anti-inflammatory effect of flurbiprofen in rheumatoid arthritis

Summary

Fifteen hospitalised patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were studied to assess the anti-inflammatory and analgesic action of flurbiprofen (200 mg. daily). Quantitative thermographic and clinical assessments were made during the pre-trial week whilst patients received 1.0 g. paracetamol 6-hourly, at the end of each week of flurbiprofen therapy (2 or 3 weeks), and 2 days afterwards when patients again received paracetamol.

Improvement in the thermographic index continued steadily during the flurbiprofen period but not whilst patients were on paracetamol. The results suggest that flurbiprofen has an anti-inflammatory as well as an analgesic action in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The magnitude of the improvement was similar to that seen with aspirin and after a single injection of a steroid into an inflamed rheumatoid joint.

Key Words::

• Flurbiprofen
• anti-inflammatory agents
• arthritis, rheumatoid
• thermography