Actividad y Eventos Adversos durante el uso de Metotrexato con Leflunomida en Artritis Reumatoide.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that has a great impact on the patient and on the social and health care systems. Therapeutic goals are based on achieving remission or maintaining the lowest possible activity. Objective To determine the activity according to DAS28 (Disease Activity Score with a count of 28 joints) and adverse events in rheumatoid arthritis during the use of methotrexate with leflunomide in the Rheumatology Service of the Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Panama. January 2010- December 2020. Methodology An observational, descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was carried out, for which 278 electronic clinical records of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have received combined therapy with methotrexate plus leflunomide in the Rheumatology service were reviewed. Results The age group with the highest number of cases was 60-69 years, with a predominance of the female gender. According to DAS28 scores: 35.85% achieved remission, 35.22% obtained low activity, 24.53% maintained moderate activity and 4.40% persisted with high activity. There was 71.06% efficacy. Adverse events included: mucositis (0.63%), gastrointestinal symptoms (7.55%), hematologic cytopenias (13.21%), elevated transaminases (28.93%), alopecia (4.40%) and infections (6.29%). Most adverse events were mild and did not warrant changes in therapy or resolved with dose reduction of one or both drugs. Conclusion Combined therapy with methotrexate plus leflunomide has proven to be a cost-effective therapeutic strategy in our country, maintaining a good safety profile, without serious adverse events that could compromise patients' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]