Description

Langer-Gould et al identified factors associated with long-term disability for a patient with the relapse-remitting form of multiple sclerosis. These can be identified soon after diagnosis and can select patients who may benefit from more aggressive management associated with more side effects. The authors are from Stanford University, New University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.


 

Parameters:

(1) sphincter symptoms at onset

(2) recovery after first attack

(3) interval between first and second attacks

Parameter

Finding

Points

sphincter symptoms

absent

0

 

present

1

recovery after first attack

complete

0

 

incomplete

1

interval between first 2 attacks

long

0

 

short

1

 

where:

• The amount of time constituting a short interval was not defined.

• The odds ratios for each parameters was approximately 2.

 

total number of prognostic factors =

= SUM(points for all 3 parameters)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum number of prognostic factors: 0

• maximum number of prognostic factors: 3

• The higher the number of prognostic factors the worse the long-term disability.

 


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