Oral administration of methylprednisolone powder for intravenous injection dissolved in water to treat MS and NMOSD relapses during COVID-19 pandemic in a real-world setting.
Mult Scler Relat Disord
; 54: 103148, 2021 Sep.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1316592
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Upon the COVID-19 pandemic emergence, safety concerns and logistic drawbacks stimulated the search for alternatives to pulse therapy at infusion centres to treat multiple sclerosis relapses.OBJECTIVE:
To describe our experience treating multiple sclerosis relapses with a dilute injectable methylprednisolone powder orally administered, in a safe home-based environment and with totally virtual assessment and follow up via telemedicine.METHODS:
Descriptive observational, retrospective, single-centre, open label, study in the real-world setting.RESULTS:
Between August 2020 and March 2021, ten multiple sclerosis patients and one neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease patient, regularly assisted at our multiple sclerosis centre in Argentina, experienced twelve disease relapses (nine moderate/severe relapses and three mild relapses) and were treated with the oral dilute of injectable methylprednisolone powder pulses with good efficacy as well as adequate tolerance and safety profile.CONCLUSIONS:
The oral pulse therapy based on the methylprednisolone powder dilution we describe is simple and comfortable to administer and can be an option in countries like Argentina, where the oral methylprednisolone formulation is not marketed. In these pandemic times, a home based and virtually monitored pulse therapy could represent a safe and effective alternative to manage relapses while minimizing the patient's risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Neuromyelitis Optica
/
COVID-19
/
Multiple Sclerosis
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Mult Scler Relat Disord
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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