The multisystem adverse effects of NSAID therapy.

The clinical utility of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage pain and inflammation is limited by adverse side effects. Although effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents, NSAIDs are associated with side effects that are a consequence of nonspecific inhibition of both cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The primary adverse events associated with NSAID therapy are upper gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration, perforation, or bleeding, all of which involve mucosal damage of varying severity and can be asymptomatic and occur with little warning. Clinicians who prescribe NSAIDs should be able to identify patients who are at risk of an NSAID-induced GI adverse event and to detect and manage the event should one occur. The use of COX-2-specific inhibitors to manage pain and inflammation may minimize the risks of NSAID-associated toxicities.