Drug utilization study in patients with Crohn's disease in Spain.

Objective: To discover the therapeutic strategies for Crohn's disease used in Spain and to analyse the factors associated with the use of each treatment.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional study of patients with Crohn's disease who attended hospitals in Spain.

Methods: Two structured questionnaires were used, one completed by gastroenterologists about demographic clinical data and disease activity, and the other a telephone interview with the patients to obtain epidemiological and drug utilization data.

Results: A total of 635 patients from 39 hospitals were included. Aminosalicylates (77%) and corticosteroids (41%) were the most commonly used drugs. Monotherapy was used in 52% of the patients and was associated with less severe disease and relapse. Aminosalicylate use was associated with relapse and associated inversely with use of immunosuppressors. Corticosteroid use was associated with relapse, disease activity, and emergency visit frequency, and associated inversely with perianal disease. Use of immunosuppressors was associated with perianal disease, chronic active disease, and routine visit frequency, and associated inversely with aminosalicylate use. Antibiotic use was associated with relapse, perianal disease, chronic active disease and hospitalization.

Conclusion: Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids and a combination of both drugs are the drugs used most frequently against Crohn's disease in Spain. Gender, age, clinical pattern and location were not associated with the type of drug used either in monotherapy or in combined therapy.