Pain control and the use of non-steroidal analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs

Rheumatic complaints, particularly associated with osteoarthritis, are responsible for about one third of all General Practice consultations in people over the age of 65 and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used on a vast scale for pain relief. Although the individual risk to life is small NSAIDs are the major cause of serious adverse reactions (ADRs) reported to drug regulatory authorities and ADRs are more common and more serious in the elderly. Gastric ulceration, haemorrhage and perforation are the major concern but fluid retention, renal and hepatic failure, asthma, skin reactions, bone marrow suppression and a host of drug interactions can occur. NSAIDs are responsible for a fifth of all admissions to hospital with bleeding or perforated peptic ulcer and thousands of deaths worldwide. Strategies for minimising the risks of ADRs are discussed and emphasis is placed on using minimal analgesic, rather than anti-inflammatory, doses of short-acting NSAIDs and where possible avoiding their use in high risk patients. For the future cytoprotection with prostaglandin analogues may have a role to play.