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Until now, no randomized trials have been designed to compare drugs used to treat patients with acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis (also known as pseudogout). In this open-label, multicenter, randomized trial at six hospitals in France, 95 older patients (mean age, 80); with acute pseudogout received colchicine (1.5 mg on day 1, and 1 mg on day 2) or prednisone (30 mg on days 1 and 2); both groups also received acetaminophen or tramadol for 24 hours. Acute arthritis affected mainly the knee (48%), wrist (20%), or ankle (13%).
At 24 hours, mean pain intensity decreased (from a baseline level of 68 mm on a 100-mm scale) by −36 mm in the colchicine group and −38 mm in the prednisone group — not a significant difference. Similar resul…