[Interferon-alpha. Results of a pharmaco-epidemiologic study]

Abstract

In the present study we evaluated the use of alpha-IFN in the ULSS 21 of Veneto Region. All outpatients treated with interferon during the period June-July 1992 (114 subjects) were interviewed using a standard questionnaire which was meant to collect information about therapy, side effects and quality of life. Alpha-IFN was mostly prescribed for chronic non-A non-B hepatitis (as approved by the FDA in the USA and by the Ministero della Sanità in Italy), while 35% of the patients were suffering from diseases for which interferon use is approved by Ministero della Sanità but not by FDA. In most cases, independently of the specific disease, a standard dose of 9 MU/week was used, which often resulted to be below the recommended doses reported in the literature. Adverse effects were frequently reported. The most common include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, myalgia. Mild mental disturbances (irritability and/or depression) and thyroid dysfunction were also reported but were less frequent. Finally, a negative influence of alpha-IFN therapy on the quality of life was reported by about half of the interviewed patients.