Demographic characteristics and treatment of patients with skeletal fluorosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2020 / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To understand the demographic characteristics and treatment intention, treatment status and therapeutic effect of patients with skeletal fluorosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (reffered to as Inner Mongolia) in order to provide a basis for next step treatment program.Methods:From March to June 2020, a face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 3 570 patients with skeletal fluorosis in 11 leagues (cities) of Inner Mongolia to understand their basic information, treatment intention, treatment status and therapeutic effect. Patients with skeletal fluorosis of different demographic characteristics were compared with each other in their treatment intention and treatment status, and the therapeutic effects of different drugs were compared by χ 2 test. Results:A total of 3570 patients with skeletal fluorosis were investigated. There were slightly more women than men with skeletal fluorosis (1.29 ∶ 1.00, 2 014/1 556). The ages were mainly from 40 to 79 years old (95.4%, 3 406/3 570). Mongols patients accounted for 36.0% (1 285/3 570). Patients with low education (primary school and below) accounted for 82.2% (2 935/3 570). Eighty-five per cent (3 035/3 570) of the patients had drug treatment intention and 37.1% (1 325/3 570) of the patients had drug treatment. Thirty-seven point five per cent (1 338/3 570) of the patients had surgery intention and surgery was performed in 0.2% (8/3 570) of the patients. Combination therapy (98.5%, 194/197) and chondroprotective agents alone (98.3%, 173/176) were more effective than anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents alone (84.2%, 48/57) in the treatment of skeletal fluorosis ( P < 0.05). Surgery was effective (8/8). Conclusions:Most of the patients with skeletal fluorosis are middle-aged and elderly, and the patients with skeletal fluorosis in Mongols account for a certain proportion. At present, all the patients with skeletal fluorosis who have the will to be treated have not been effectively treated, and the means of treatment is relatively single. It should be advocated to carry out various forms of treatment of skeletal fluorosis, so that patients could relieve symptoms, reduce pain and improve their quality of life.