HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0091270009333017v1 49/5/582    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pérez, C. Articles by Rejas, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pérez, C. Articles by Rejas, J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Trigeminal Neuralgia Treated With Pregabalin in Family Medicine Settings: Its Effect on Pain Alleviation and Cost Reduction

From the Pain Clinic, University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain (Dr Pérez); Primary Care Health Centre Raíces, Castrillón, Asturias, Spain (Dr Saldaña); Primary Care Health Centre Puerta del Ángel, Madrid, Spain (Dr Navarro); European Biometrics Institute, Barcelona, Spain (Dr Martínez); and Health Outcomes Research Department, Medical Unit, Pfizer España, Alcobendas, Spain (Dr Rejas).

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of pregabalin (PGB) on pain alleviation, use of health care and non–health care resources, and associated costs in patients with trigeminal neuralgia under usual clinical practice in primary care settings. Sixty-five PGB-naïve patients receiving PGB as monotherapy (n = 36, 55%) or combined with other drugs (n = 29, 45%) fulfill criteria for inclusion in a secondary analysis from a 12-week, multicenter, observational prospective study aimed to ascertain the cost of illness in subjects with neuropathic pain. Pain is evaluated using the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Use of health care and non–health care resources and lost workdays equivalents (LWDEs) are also recorded. PGB significantly reduces pain scores, use of health care resources (ancillary tests and unscheduled medical visits), and number of LWDEs. Additional cost of PGB treatment (+174 ± 106) is broadly compensated for by a reduction in both health care costs (–621 ±1211, P < .001) and indirect costs (–1210 ± 1141, P < .001). It is concluded that PGB as monotherapy or combined with other drugs is effective in pain management in patients with trigeminal neuralgia and reduces the cost of illness.

Key Words: Trigeminal neuralgia • pregabalin • health care resource utilization • cost • burden of illness • lost workdays equivalents

Address for reprints: Concepción Pérez, MD, Unidad del Dolor, Hospital de La Princesa, C/Diego de León, 62, 28006 – Madrid (Spain); e-mail: cperez.hlpr{at}salud.madrid.org.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?