Long-term results of low-dose intravenous XXXX for acute severe @entity31 .

@entity1 @entity101 @entity500 @entity31 @entity2737 @entity205 @entity1960 @entity281 @entity733 @entity1011 @entity230
BACKGROUND: Intravenous @entity205 for acute, severe @entity1960 is usually administered in a dose of 4 mg/kg/day, with concurrent intravenous @entity230 . This is associated with considerable morbidity. We have been using a low-dose regimen, most commonly without concurrent @entity230 , for seven years, and present the outcome. METHODS: Records of all @entity1 admitted for severe @entity31 , treated by one physician over seven years, were reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-one @entity1 received low-dose intravenous @entity205 (2 mg/kg/day) for a median 8 days. Eleven early @entity1 received concurrent intravenous corticosteroids. Three @entity1 had @entity101 requiring dose reduction, one elevated @entity1011 and one elevated liver enzymes (all transient), and four experienced @entity281 (two arm cellulitis, one @entity733 , one @entity2737 ). Twenty-four @entity1 (77%) avoided urgent colectomy, and were discharged on oral @entity205 and @entity500 . After a median 18 months (range 3-77), 14 @entity1 (45% of total) avoided colectomy, of whom eight had flares responding to medical therapy and two had persistent, mildly active disease. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose intravenous @entity205 (2 mg/kg/day), usually used as a monotherapy and followed by @entity500 , achieves similar long-term efficacy to higher dose @entity205 combined with @entity230 in severe @entity31 . Morbidity appears to be low.
