ArticlePediatric rheumatology online journal2020
Prefilled pen versus prefilled syringe: a pilot study evaluating two different methods of methotrexate subcutaneous injection in patients with JIA.
Article in Pediatric rheumatology online journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient preferences for prophylactic regimens requiring regular injections in children and adolescents: a systematic review and thematic analysis.BMJ paediatrics open · 2024Pooled it
- Methotrexate in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Postepy dermatologii i alergologii · 2025Review
- Adalimumab around the world: comparative analysis of products characteristics and patient support systems.Therapeutic advances in gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Development of a questionnaire to assess the patient perspective regarding challenges in psoriatic arthritis treatment-a mixed-methods study.Advances in rheumatology (London, England) · 2024Article
- Relevance of Adalimumab Product Attributes to Patient Experience in the Biosimilar Era: A Narrative Review.Advances in therapy · 2024Review
- International Survey to Evaluate Current Options for Subcutaneous Injection of Methotrexate (MTX) and a New Button-Free MTX Autoinjector.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Article
- Design Development of the SMARTCLICAdvances in therapy · 2023Article
- Exploring Biologic Treatment Hesitancy Among Black and Indigenous Populations in Canada: a Review.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2023Review
- Analysis of Nurse and Patient Preferences for Pre-Filled Pen Devices for Self-Injection of Highly Purified Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (HP-hMG, MENOPURPatient preference and adherence · 2023Article
- Methotrexate subcutaneous injection for the initial treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can achieve earlier remission compared with oral administration.Medicine internationalArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMethotrexate is the most commonly used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug recommended in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It can be administered orally or subcutaneously, the latter method is associated with fewer side effects and higher drug bioavailability. Nevertheless, the pain associated with injection is a considerable drawback of this treatment option in the pediatric population. Currently, there are two single-use subcutaneous injection devices available: the prefilled syringe and the prefilled pen. This prospective, two-sequence crossover study aimed to compare ease of use, frequency of therapy side effects, injection-site pain and parent/patient preference of those methotrexate parenteral delivery systems.
methodsTwenty-three patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, already treated with subcutaneous methotrexate in the form of prefilled syringe in the period October 2018 - April 2019 completed a questionnaire evaluating their experience with this device. Subsequently, children received a one-month supply of pen autoinjector and completed the same questionnaire, regarding their experience with the new methotrexate delivery system. If the patient was not performing the injections himself the questionnaires were completed by the caregiver administrating MTX. The results obtained in both questionnaires were compared using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test.
results82,6% patients and their caregivers voted for the prefilled pen as their preferred method of subcutaneous methotrexate administration. Moreover, the injection with the prefilled pen was reported as less painful in comparison to the prefilled syringe (p < 0.01). Side effects of methotrexate were less pronounced after the prefilled pen treatment, this difference was most prominent regarding gastrointestinal adverse events associated with the injection (p < 0.01).
conclusionAdministration of methotrexate using the pen device is a promising way of subcutaneous methotrexate delivery in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as the injection is less painful and associated with fewer side effects.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.