Should nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs be stopped before elective surgery?

PURPOSE

--To determine if perioperative use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might be associated with increased postoperative morbidity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

--Records from 165 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty from 1984 to 1987 were reviewed. Patients taking NSAIDs at hospital admission were compared with those who were not.

RESULTS

--Patients taking NSAIDs had more postoperative bleeding complications (gastrointestinal tract bleeding and/or hypotension) than did patients not taking those agents. Complications were more frequent in patients using NSAIDs with half-lives longer than 6 hours.

CONCLUSION

--Patients undergoing elective surgery should stop taking NSAIDs in time to allow elimination of the drug; those patients who need to take these agents perioperatively should use drugs with short half-lives.