P081 Out-patient management of gout in secondary care: Results from the North West regional audit
Authors: Gould Laura , Richards Anneliese , Gray Leanne , Badarulla Mirza , Mercer Louise , Farid Rashid , Heaton Rebecca , Al-Attar Mariam , Whitehead Megan , Kamath Sanjeet , Teh Lee-Suan , Odekunle Ayomikun , Sharp Charlotte A , Babiker Abdulrahman , Hopping Stephen , Oldroyd Alexander , Lazarewicz Karina , Saleh Christopher , Horton Sarah , Roy Dipak , Opeseyitan Ayo , Das Dhivya , Varughese Sneha , Yidana Daniel , Wig Surabhi , Bluett James 
Published: April 2024

Background/Aims

Recommendations for gout management have significantly evolved as outlined by the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidelines, with increased emphasis being placed on optimising cardiovascular risk. This regional audit aimed to assess concordance with these guidelines within rheumatology outpatient settings in the North West region of England.

Methods

New or follow-up patients with gout, presenting to a rheumatology outpatient setting within the Greater Manchester and Lancashire area over a five-week period between 1/3/23 and 7/4/23 were included. We collated data on demographics, co-morbidity assessment including cardiovascular risk, prescribing of febuxostat in major cardiovascular disease, diuretic use and advice, setting of treat-to-target levels, use of cardiovascular risk prediction tools and subsequent follow up arrangements. For new patients, collected data also included referral reason, and prescription recommendations for first-line urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and co-prescriptions for flare prophylaxis.

Results

Ninety-two patients (mean age 60 years, 80% male) were included from 13 rheumatology departments. Twenty-three patients were new referrals. Sixty-seven patients (73%) had ≥ 1 relevant comorbidity; hypertension being the most common (55%). Twenty (22%) patients were on diuretics. Twelve (55%) of these patients had a diagnosis of hypertension without heart failure; none received recommendations to reduce or stop diuretics. In line with current guidelines, no patient with major cardiovascular disease was treated with febuxostat. Treat-to-target levels were agreed in 49 (57%) applicable patients. Cardiovascular prediction tools were only calculated or known in three (3%) patients. However, clinic data collected would have allowed a risk assessment calculation in 13 (14%) patients. Sixteen (17%) patients audited had no planned follow-up. Compared to NICE guidelines, 18 (78%) new patients reviewed in clinic were referred appropriately to rheumatology services. Twenty-two (96%) new patients referred were eligible to start ULT, of which 15 (75%) were started on a NICE/ EULAR recommended first-line ULT treatment (14 patients on allopurinol including 11 patients with no major cardiovascular disease, one patient on febuxostat). Eleven (79%) patients started on allopurinol were initiated on a low dose (50-100mg), as recommended by NICE and the BSR. Ten (67%) patients of those initiated on ULT were also prescribed prophylactic colchicine. Two additional patients were prescribed NSAIDs with PPI cover and one patient was prescribed oral steroids without PPI cover.

Conclusion

Most new patients were referred and prescribed first-line ULT treatment appropriately, often with colchicine prophylaxis. Uptake of febuxostat as first-line therapy was limited. Cardiovascular risk assessment was rarely done; further work exploring barriers to undertaking these assessments in rheumatology clinics is likely to improve both patient care and guideline compliance.

Disclosure

L. Gould: Other; L.G. has received conference fees from Eli Lilly. A. Richards: None. L. Gray: Other; L.G. has received travel and conference fees from Eli Lilly. M. Badarulla: Other; M.B. has received conference fees from Eli Lilly. L. Mercer: Other; L.M. has received conference fees from Nordic Pharma and UCB. R. Farid: None. R. Heaton: Consultancies; R.H. has received consultancy fees from Galapagos. Honoraria; R.H. has received speaker honorarium from Abbvie and Nordic. Other; R.H. has received conference fees from UCB. M. Al-Attar: None. M. Whitehead: None. S. Kamath: None. L. Teh: None. A. Odekunle: None. C.A. Sharp: None. A. Babiker: None. S. Hopping: None. A. Oldroyd: None. K. Lazarewicz: None. C. Saleh: None. S. Horton: None. D. Roy: Honoraria; D.R. has an honorary University of Manchester research assistant contract. A. Opeseyitan: None. D. Das: None. S. Varughese: None. D. Yidana: None. S. Wig: None. J. Bluett: Grants/research support; J.B. has received a research grant award from Pfizer. Other; J.B. has received travel/conference fees from UCB, Fresenius Kabi, Pfizer and Eli Lilly.