As this was not a randomized trial we adjusted for potential confounders (age, gender, percent burn, APACHE II and baseline creatinine) in the multivariate regression models.
Controlling for baseline characteristics in the multivariate analysis gave similar results with a mean total costs of £290.13 in the intervention group and £174.81 in the usual care group (mean difference £115.32, 95% CI £83.49 to £146.63).
There was no difference between groups in the intention to treat analysis (Table 5), nor after adjusting for covariates (age, gender, number of chronic illnesses, country of birth and baseline score) in the multivariate analyses (Table 2).
The following indicators of severity of KP at baseline were significant in the multivariate analyses: greater intensity of KP at baseline, past history of knee injury in men, degenerative osteoarthritis as self-assessed origin of pain (available in Gazel only) and pain in other areas (significant in Gazel, not in Cosali).
However, there were no significant interactions between NSAID use and baseline CRP concentration in the multivariate regression models.
Adjusting for the baseline CD4 count in the multivariate proportional hazard regression for the rapid LAM grade ≥2+ led to similar significant results (HR=5.01; 95% CI 1.05 to 23.9).
Other factors associated with baseline symptom reporting in the multivariate model included mental health history, headache/migraine history, gender, developmental and/or learning problems, and number of prior concussions.
However, adjustment for baseline symptom severity in the multivariate logistic regression analysis only increased the observed beneficial effect in the first month of treatment the relative risk for adequate relief in the psyllium group versus the placebo group was 2.70 (1.33 to 5.46).
For the time period 3 to 9 months, non-adherence, weeks of treatment, baseline disease activity, standardized age, and baseline anxiety were entered in the multivariate model.
