Nimesulide for treatment of acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

In a double-blind, parallel four-day trial with 51 patients, the anti-inflammatory, antiexudative, and antipyretic effects of nimesulide were compared with placebo in patients with acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. Patients who received nimesulide showed improvement in the signs and symptoms evaluated: pharyngeal redness, tonsillar redness, tonsillar swelling, hoarseness, sore throat, headache, and arthralgia. A statistically significant difference between nimesulide and placebo was evident for all parameters (P less than 0.01). The global use rating of the two drugs showed that nimesulide was useful in 22 (92%) of 24 patients and that placebo was useful in four (16%) of 25 patients (P less than 0.01). There were no side effects associated with nimesulide; one placebo-treated patient had diarrhea and withdrew from the study, and one nimesulide-treated patient withdrew for nonmedical reasons. No variations in laboratory tests were noted.