Anakinra for Inpatient Treatment of Gout and Pseudogout

Acute gout and pseudogout usually are managed with colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, or joint injections. However, in patients with comorbid conditions such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes, or hypertension, these standard therapies often are avoided. The interleukin 1–receptor antagonist anakinra (Kineret) sometimes is used off-label in patients with acute crystal disease who cannot be managed with traditional therapy, although access is restricted because of its expense. In this retrospective observational U.S. study of 100 medically complex hospitalized patients (mean age, 60) with acute gout or pseudogout, researchers evaluated anakinra's efficacy and safety.

Renal disease was present in 45% of…