Non-opioid analgesics

Author(s):  
Per Sjøgren ◽  
Frank Elsner ◽  
Stein Kaasa

Non-opioid analgesics encompass the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol (acetaminophen). The NSAIDs include acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, aspirin), dipyrone (metamizole), and numerous other drugs in diverse classes. The NSAIDs have potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity, and are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. In palliative medicine, they represent the first step of the World Health Organization’s analgesic ladder used for mild pain and they are an important supplement to opioids and adjuvant drugs at higher steps of the ladder. The disadvantages of non-opioid analgesics include a ceiling effect for pain relief and the risk of side effects. NSAIDs are also associated with an increased risk of adverse gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular effects and hepatotoxicity can result from overdosing with paracetamol. This chapter describes the clinical pharmacology of NSAIDs, their classification, molecular mechanisms of action and adverse effects, as well as some recent developments aimed at designing effective anti-inflammatory agents with improved safety and tolerability profiles.

2020 ◽  

Ibuprofen is a long lasting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and still represents one of the most diffused analgesics around the world. It has an interesting story started over 50 years ago. In this short comment to an already published paper, the authors try to focus some specific important point. On top, they illustrate the recent, confusing and fake assertion on the potentially dangerous influence that ibuprofen could have, increasing the risk of Coronavirus infection. This is also better illustrated in a previously published paper, where the readers could find more clear responses to eventual doubts.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard T Ruffin ◽  
Jeffrey Kluger ◽  
Stephanie M Wills ◽  
C M White ◽  
Craig I Coleman

Background: Two previous studies evaluating nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use following cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) demonstrated conflicting evidence regarding their ability to reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). Moreover, neither study examined negative cardiovascular outcomes such as stroke and myocardial infarction (MI). Since a recent study evaluating paracoxib/valdecoxib following CTS demonstrated an increased risk of cardiovascular events, we sought to evaluate whether NSAIDs could reduce the incidence of POAF without increasing patients’ risk of stroke or MI. Methods: Patients (n=555) undergoing CTS from the randomized, controlled Atrial Fibrillation Suppression Trials (AFISTs) I, II and III were evaluated in this nested study. Demographic, surgical and medication use characteristics were prospectively collected as part of the AFIST trials. Endpoints included POAF, stroke, MI and the need for red blood cell transfusion. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The population was 67.8 ± 8.6 years old, 77.1% male, 14.6% underwent valve surgery, 6.1% had prior AF, 12.6% had heart failure and 84.0% and 44.1% received postoperative beta-blockade and prophylactic amiodarone. In total, 127 (22.9%) patients received a NSAID postoperatively. NSAID use was associated with reductions in the odds of POAF and the need for RBC transfusions. (Table ) No elevation in the odds of developing stroke or MI was observed. Conclusions: NSAIDs decreased the odds of developing POAF and the need for RBC transfusions without significantly increasing MI or stroke. Table. Effect of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on Postoperative Outcomes


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chethan Gejjalagere Honnappa ◽  
Unnikrishnan Mazhuvancherry Kesavan

Inflammatory diseases are complex, multi-factorial outcomes of evolutionarily conserved tissue repair processes. For decades, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase inhibitors, the primary drugs of choice for the management of inflammatory diseases, addressed individual targets in the arachidonic acid pathway. Unsatisfactory safety and efficacy profiles of the above have necessitated the development of multi-target agents to treat complex inflammatory diseases. Current anti-inflammatory therapies still fall short of clinical needs and the clinical trial results of multi-target therapeutics are anticipated. Additionally, new drug targets are emerging with improved understanding of molecular mechanisms controlling the pathophysiology of inflammation. This review presents an outline of small molecules and drug targets in anti-inflammatory therapeutics with a summary of a newly identified target AMP-activated protein kinase, which constitutes a novel therapeutic pathway in inflammatory pathology.


2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-221
Author(s):  
V N Shilenok ◽  
E V Nikitina

Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of used anesthesia methods in patients with acute pancreatitis in intensive care units settings using pain scales.Methods. Depending on the anesthesia type, 44 patients with acute pancreatitis were divided into three groups: the first group received intramuscular injections of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and spasmolytics, the second group - intramuscular injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioid analgesics, the third group - epidural anesthesia with local anesthetics. Comparative analysis of pain character, intensity was conducted, its dynamics in patients of all groups amid anesthesia was evaluated using a visual analogue scale, verbal rating scale, verbal descriptor scale, McGill pain questionnaire.Results. Baseline pain intensity in patients of all groups was high. Patients estimated this pain as «very strong». The time and the level of pain intensity reduction for various anesthesia types had differences. Pain syndrome was eliminated slower in patients of the second group. By the end of the 1st day, patients of this group continued to complain of «strong» pain. Pain intensity decreased only on the 2nd day - patients reported «moderate» pain. Pain syndrome was not completely eliminated in these patients for 2 days of anesthesia. 97.7% of patients reported that the visual analogue scale is the most acceptable pain assessment scale for them.Conclusion. In patients with acute pancreatitis, the most optimal anesthesia types are intramuscular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with spasmolytics and prolonged epidural anesthesia with local anesthetics; intramuscular administration of opioid analgesics with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is less effective in relieving pain.


2020 ◽  
pp. 32-44
Author(s):  
D. I. Trukhan ◽  
D. S. Ivanova ◽  
K. D. Belus

Rheumatoid arthritis is a frequent and one of the most severe immuno-inflammatory diseases in humans, which determines the great medical and socio-economic importance of this pathology. One of the priority problems of modern cardiac rheumatology is an increased risk of cardiovascular complications in rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, traditional cardiovascular risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, smoking and hypodynamia) and a genetic predisposition are expressed. Their specific features also have a certain effect: the “lipid paradox” and the “obesity paradox”. However, chronic inflammation as a key factor in the development of progression of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction plays a leading role in morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in rheumatoid arthritis. This review discusses the effect of chronic inflammation and its mediators on traditional cardiovascular risk factors and its independent significance in the development of CVD. Drug therapy (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, basic anti-inflammatory drugs, genetically engineered biological drugs) of the underlying disease also has a definite effect on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A review of studies on this problem suggests a positive effect of pharmacological intervention in rheumatoid arthritis on cardiovascular risk factors, their reduction to a level comparable to the populations of patients not suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The interaction of rheumatologists, cardiologists and first-contact doctors (therapist and general practitioner) in studying the mechanisms of the development of atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis will allow in real clinical practice to develop adequate methods for the timely diagnosis and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.


2005 ◽  
Vol 165 (13) ◽  
pp. 1547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia M. C. Verhamme ◽  
Jeanne P. Dieleman ◽  
Marc A. M. Van Wijk ◽  
Johan van der Lei ◽  
Joseph L. H. R. Bosch ◽  
...  

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Y Hwang ◽  
Steven M Smith

Introduction: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation, but their ubiquitous use has led to concerns over increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, particularly in patients with established CV disease (CVD). In 2005, the FDA revised labels for all NSAIDs to include a boxed warning highlighting the potential for increased CV risk. However, little is known regarding real-world prescribing of NSAIDs among patients with CVD. Our objective was to characterize the use of prescription NSAIDs among patients with CVD from 1988-2016 in the U.S. Methods: Using cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1988-1994 and 1999-2016, we included participants aged ≥18 years with hypertension (defined by self-report, mean blood pressure ≥140/90, or use of an antihypertensive medication), or aged ≥20 years with ≥1 of the following self-reported heart disease conditions: congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary heart disease (CHD), angina, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. Survey-weighted data were analyzed to assess prevalence and trends of prescription NSAID use within each CVD population in 6-year examination periods. Results: Overall, prescription NSAID use declined among all U.S. CVD populations over the study period. Prevalence of prescription NSAID use was highest during the 1999-2004 examination years, but thereafter, declined during the 2005-2010 examination years for those with hypertension (13.9% to 8.8%), CHF (14.6% to 8.5%), CHD (16.3% to 7.0%), angina (17.6% to 9.73%), MI (16.1% to 8.2%), and stroke (15.7% to 8.8%). Use of prescription NSAIDs since the 2005-2010 examination years has remained consistent in all CVD populations. These decreases were driven in part by reduced use of COX-2-selective NSAIDs, whereas non-selective NSAID use among all CVD populations was relatively steady from 1999 to 2016. Conclusions: Prescription NSAID use among patients with CVD appears to have declined from 1988 to 2016, primarily because of less COX-2 NSAID use following removal of 2 approved agents. Otherwise, the prevalence of prescription NSAIDs has remained somewhat stable and relatively high among these high-risk CV populations. Our results suggest additional efforts may be needed to limit the use of NSAIDs among patients with CVD, given that these agents are known to be associated with adverse CVD outcomes.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Faizah Safina Bakrin ◽  
Mohd Makmor-Bakry ◽  
Wan Hazmy Che Hon ◽  
Shafeeq Mohd Faizal ◽  
Mohamed Mansor Manan ◽  
...  

Introduction: Drug utilization of analgesics in a private healthcare setting is useful to examine their prescribing patterns, especially the newer injectable cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors (coxibs). Objectives: To evaluate the utilization of coxibs and traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAIDs) indicated for postoperative orthopaedic pain control using defined daily dose (DDD) and ratio of use density to use rate (UD/UR). Method: A retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at an inpatient department of a private teaching hospital in Seremban, Malaysia was conducted. Patients’ demographic characteristics, medications prescribed, clinical lab results, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and length of hospital stay were documented. Orthopaedic surgeries, namely arthroscopy, reconstructive, and fracture fixation, were included. Stratified random sampling was used to select patients. Data were collected through patients’ medical records. The DDD per 100 admissions and the indicator UD/UR were calculated with the World Health Organization’s DDD as a benchmark. The inclusion criteria were patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery prescribed with coxibs (celecoxib capsules, etoricoxib tablets, parecoxib injections) and tNSAIDs (dexketoprofen injections, diclofenac sodium tablets). Data were analysed descriptively. This research was approved by the academic institution and the hospital research ethics committee. Result: A total of 195 records of patients who received NSAIDs were randomly selected among 1169 cases. In term of the types of orthopaedic surgery, the ratio of included records for arthroscopy:fracture fixation:reconstructive surgery was 55.4:35.9:8.7. Most of the inpatients had low rates of common comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease as supported by their baseline parameters. The majority were not prescribed with other concomitant prescriptions that could cause drug interaction (74.9%), or gastroprotective agents (77.4%). Overall, DDDs per 100 admissions for all NSAIDs were less than 100, except for parecoxib injections (389.23). The UD/UR for all NSAIDs were less than 100, except for etoricoxib tablets (105.75) and parecoxib injections (108.00). Discussion: As per guidelines, the majority (96.9%) received other analgesics to ensure a multimodal approach was carried out to control pain. From the UD/UR results, the arthroscopy surgery was probably the most appropriate in terms of NSAID utilization. Conclusion: The prescribing pattern of NSAIDs except parecoxib was appropriate based on adverse effect and concurrent medication profile. The findings of this DUR provide insight for a low-risk patient population at a private specialized teaching hospital on the recommended use of NSAIDs for postoperative orthopaedic pain control.


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