Treatment of Gouty Arthritis - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal on Treatment of Gouty Arthritis The George Washington Research proposal on treatment of gouty arthritis Arthritis is a disease with variants and gout is one of them. It is characterized by inflammation of joints, usually begins with one joint. Gout is mainly caused by an excessive concentration of uric acid in the joint tissues. This research proposal seeks to find out if there can be a permanent of enduring cure for gout arthritis. This research will investigate the effectiveness of low diet in purine foods in reduction of gout treatment. Research question: How is maintenance of a specific diet low in purine foods over a 24 month period more effective in reducing the number of gouty arthritis flare-ups compared to conventional treatments colchicine and NSAIDs for males between the ages of 18-40 years? Problem statement Currently, there is no long term well-coordinated research works that can show how people with knowledge about purine containing foods and keep specific purine diets low and get acupuncture is more successful in reducing contraction of gouty arthritis break outs as compared to colchicine and NSAIDs for male of ages 18-40 tested over a period of 24 moths. Literature review A number of doctors have come out to point out the effectiveness of low purine diet in treatment of gout out breaks. In their handout about purine diet, doctors from Pittsburgh Medical Center describe that low purine diets can reduce contraction of gouts. It is explained that purine containing foods are broken down to form uric acid that is responsible for arthritis. They recommend that low consumption of purine foods lowers the amount of uric acid produced by the body hence this can reduce gout arthritis infections (Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2008). Since medications are not so effective, reducing the gout arthritis cases. It is recommended that prevention is more effective than cure. In their essay Preventing Gout Attacks, Palo Alto Medical Foundation doctors write that consumption of low fat foods and those with low levels of purine is more likely to reduce accumulation of uric acid. This in turn reduces chances of gout attacks (Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 2011). Research justification This research seeks to give proof that long term maintenance of low diet on purine foods and acupuncture treatment over a period of 24 moths is more effective than the mainstream cures, for instance, patients being administered with NSAIDs and colchicine to reduce break outs of gout arthritis in males aged between 18-40 years. Most of the works done regarding low diet in purine foods is just experimental and more theory. This research seeks to implement the treatment of gout arthritis through diet regulation on purine foods. Hypothesis Null hypothesis: subjects that are administered with NSAIDs have the same effect with those that consume low diets of purine containing foods when it comes to contraction of gout arthritis. Alternative hypothesis: Subjects involved in a specific diet regimen low in purine foods and acupuncture treatment only over 24 month period will experience a significant reduction in the number of gouty arthritis flare-ups compared to subject involved in colchicine and NSAID treatment over a 24 month period. Research design In investigating the behavior of subjects, a number of methods and procedures will be employed. A prospective cohort study will be performed involving 100 male ranging in age from 18 years of age to 40. Some people will maintain a diet plan including foods that are low in purine which will be followed accordingly. There will be control group that will maintain colchicine NSAID treatment without a change in diet. The study subjects will be chosen based on the number of flare-ups they have while be treated with colchicine and NSAIDs compared to subjects interested in following a specific diet plan and acupuncture treatment only when being treated for gouty arthritis. Research Methodology A variety of research techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, will be used in data collection and analysis. Qualitative techniques will be used to collect data that is deemed to be qualitative. This is the data that will involve questions like how the patients feel in their administration of the different therapies during the research. It will also be used to investigate behavior in the patients. Quantitative techniques will be used to collect data that is numerical in nature. It will be the most commonly used techniques as most of the data expected will be numerical and statistical in nature. Sampling Simple random probability sampling will be used to select the test subjects. Patients that have been clinically diagnosed with gout arthritis and suffered from flare ups while taking colchicine and NSAIDS that were prescribed by a board-certified Rheumatologist practicing anywhere in the US. Advertisements will be posted in the local newspaper asking for volunteers that would like to participate in this study. Patients will be surveyed on their knowledge of foods containing purine. Target Population: 100 males chosen randomly between the ages of 18 to 40years living within Washington, DC only. These will be those that have been clinically diagnosed with gout arthritis and suffered from flares while taking colchicine and NSAIDS. Data collection plan Participants in this study will be assigned in both large group and subgroup categories as it pertains to their specified treatment regimen. This will either include colchicine and NSAIDS, or a diet/nutrition plan and acupuncture. The subgroups of both categories will reveal the efficacy of a single treatment. Patients’ knowledge of foods containing purines, and how it affects their gout will be assessed and evaluated. The test subjects will be monitored closely to observe patterns and changes in their health. There will be frequent data collection depending on the observation made by the observers. Each time an observation is made, the data will be entered in the respondent’s work sheet. There will be different data sheets for the different groups. This will make data recording and analysis easy. Age will be the independent variable of the subjects while the dependent variable will be their reaction to low purine foods for the experimental group and reaction to NSAIDS treatment for the control group. Ethical issues to be considered Those to be selected for this study should be made aware of the purpose of the study. Their participation should be out of their free will.The participants should only take part voluntarily. They should also be informed of the processes involved in the study and the time the study will take. The study will involve health records of the subjects. Confidentiality of the records will be paramount. The results of the study shall only be restricted for study purposes. They should not be shared or used for any other purpose apart from the stated. In any case the information is used for any other purpose, the participants should be informed and their permission sought. References Palo Alto Medical Foundation. (2011). Preventing Gout attacks.San Francisco, San Francisco, United States of America. Pittsburgh Medical Center. (2008, August 01). Low Purine Diet – Gout Diet treatment. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United states of America. Terkeltaub, R., & Edwards, N. L. (2011).Gout: Diagnosis and Management of Gouty Arthritis andHyperuricemia.West Islip, N.Y: Professional Communications. Read More