Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Preview

Patients with moderately severe pain or inflammation often find nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to be very beneficial. However, use of multiple NSAIDs, long-term NSAID therapy, or concomitant use of certain agents, such as corticosteroids or anticoagulants, can cause serious adverse side effects, especially in elderly patients. Some of the newer agents may cause less toxicity and improve patient outcome. The authors summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the various agents and describe how to choose the best regimen according to specific patient needs.