The Aspirin-NSAID Interaction

Provider-directed analgesia for dental pain

INTRODUCTION

Extraction of impacted molar teeth is a common procedure performed by oral surgeons and general dentists, with postoperative pain being a significant adverse event post-surgery. If mismanaged, pain can lead to complications that impact oral and systemic health. The current scourge of the opioid epidemic has ushered in a new era of provider-directed analgesic (PDA) therapy in dentistry.

AREAS COVERED

This article provides an in-depth review on the major pharmacological and therapeutic properties of established and alternative analgesics used to manage dental pain.

EXPERT OPINION

Substantial evidence-based literature shows combination of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID; e.g. ibuprofen) and acetaminophen provides superior pain relief than single-agent or combination opioid regimens. However, there are clinical scenarios (e.g. severe pain) when short-course opioid prescription is appropriate in select patients, in which a 2-3-day treatment duration is typically sufficient. Alternative agents (e.g. caffeine, gabapentin, phytotherapies), typically in combination with established agents, can mitigate postoperative dental pain. Some evidence suggests preemptive therapies (e.g. corticosteroids, NSAIDs) reduce amounts of postsurgical analgesic consumption and might lessen opioid prescription burden. In summary, this comprehensive review provides an opportune update on the evolving landscape of pharmacotherapy for acute postsurgical dental pain, informing best practices for PDA in the dental setting.

Drug Safety in Episodic Migraine Management in Adults Part 1: Acute Treatments

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this review is to aid in choosing safe options when assessing potential risks of acute migraine treatments based on known mechanisms of action and anticipated safety concerns.

RECENT FINDINGS

Part 1 highlights safety issues associated with commonly used medications to treat acute migraine attacks. Strategies to mitigate cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, evaluation of cardiovascular risks of triptan and ergot alkaloids, and precautions with use of antiemetics and the novel drugs gepants and ditans are discussed to help practitioners in clinical decision-making. When available, we included recommendations from professional societies and data from pharmacovigilance systems. While guidelines on efficacy are available, one must also consider the possible risks and adverse effects of a drug when creating treatment plans.

2021 American College of Rheumatology/Vasculitis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Kawasaki Disease

OBJECTIVE

To provide evidence-based recommendations and expert guidance for the management of Kawasaki disease (KD), focusing on clinical scenarios more commonly addressed by rheumatologists.

METHODS

Sixteen clinical questions regarding diagnostic testing, treatment, and management of KD were developed in the Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) question format. Systematic literature reviews were conducted for each PICO question. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method to assess the quality of evidence and formulate recommendations. Each recommendation required consensus from at least 70% of the Voting Panel.

RESULTS

We present 1 good practice statement, 11 recommendations, and 1 ungraded position statement to guide the management of KD and clinical scenarios of suspected KD. These recommendations for KD are focused on situations in which input from rheumatologists may be requested by other managing specialists, such as in cases of treatment-refractory, severe, or complicated KD. The good practice statement affirms that all patients with KD should receive initial treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). In addition, we developed 7 strong and 4 conditional recommendations for the management of KD or suspected KD. Strong recommendations include prompt treatment of incomplete KD, treatment with aspirin, and obtaining an echocardiogram in the setting of unexplained macrophage activation syndrome or shock. Conditional recommendations include use of IVIG with other adjuvant agents for patients with KD and high-risk features of IVIG resistance and/or coronary artery aneurysms. These recommendations endorse minimizing risk to the patient by using established therapy promptly at disease onset and identifying situations in which adjunctive therapy may be warranted.

CONCLUSION

These recommendations provide guidance regarding diagnostic strategies, use of pharmacologic agents, and use of echocardiography in patients with suspected or confirmed KD.

2021 American College of Rheumatology/Vasculitis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Kawasaki Disease

OBJECTIVE

To provide evidence-based recommendations and expert guidance for the management of Kawasaki disease (KD), focusing on clinical scenarios more commonly addressed by rheumatologists.

METHODS

Sixteen clinical questions regarding diagnostic testing, treatment, and management of KD were developed in the Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) question format. Systematic literature reviews were conducted for each PICO question. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method to assess the quality of evidence and formulate recommendations. Each recommendation required consensus from at least 70% of the Voting Panel.

RESULTS

We present 1 good practice statement, 11 recommendations, and 1 ungraded position statement to guide the management of KD and clinical scenarios of suspected KD. These recommendations for KD are focused on situations in which input from rheumatologists may be requested by other managing specialists, such as in cases of treatment-refractory, severe, or complicated KD. The good practice statement affirms that all patients with KD should receive initial treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). In addition, we developed 7 strong and 4 conditional recommendations for the management of KD or suspected KD. Strong recommendations include prompt treatment of incomplete KD, treatment with aspirin, and obtaining an echocardiogram in the setting of unexplained macrophage activation syndrome or shock. Conditional recommendations include use of IVIG with other adjuvant agents for patients with KD and high-risk features of IVIG resistance and/or coronary artery aneurysms. These recommendations endorse minimizing risk to the patient by using established therapy promptly at disease onset and identifying situations in which adjunctive therapy may be warranted.

CONCLUSION

These recommendations provide guidance regarding diagnostic strategies, use of pharmacologic agents, and use of echocardiography in patients with suspected or confirmed KD.

Management of Osteoarthritis: Expert Opinion on NSAIDs

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability among older adults worldwide. Treatment aims are to alleviate inflammatory pain and improve physical function through non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are recommended as first-line therapy. However, selection is challenged by patient age, comorbidities and polypharmacy, and by the drug's benefit/risk balance, all of which together influence the risk of cardiovascular (CV), gastrointestinal (GI) and renal adverse events (AEs). While the efficacy profile of the various NSAIDs is delineated, the differences in their safety profile are not straightforward. This narrative review provides practical indications by a multidisciplinary Italian expert panel for general practitioners and specialists managing OA patients with chronic inflammatory pain; the goal is to maximize therapy efficacy while reducing untoward effects caused by inappropriate NSAID use. The discussion on the best approach to NSAIDs spanned the following topics: (1) patient evaluation: investigate pain origin, duration and components together with possible risk factors for CV, GI and renal AEs; (2) non-pharmacological interventions: the physiatrist provides a person-centered, holistic approach accounting for all patient aspects; (3) pharmacological interventions: patient profile and drugs' pharmacological properties affect NSAID selection, which drugs to be used in combination or to be avoided, formulation and therapy duration; (4) the pharmacologist's, general practitioner's and pain therapist's points of view; (5) NSAID safety: the individual baseline risk and the drug's safety profile are major determinants of CV, GI and renal risk; consider possible drug-drug interactions; (6) periodical re-evaluation of treatment response and adherence, using scales to assess pain and function.

Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events associated with NSAIDs

INTRODUCTION

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most prescribed pharmacological groups, especially in elderly patients.

AREAS COVERED

The main GI and CV adverse events associated with NSAID use are reviewed. Risk factors and prophylactic strategies are also covered.

EXPERT OPINION

COX-2 selective agents are safer to the GI tract but have a worst CV profile. On the contrary, naproxen seems safer for CV system, but it is one of the NSAIDs with higher GI toxicity. Co-therapy with aspirin reduces the GI benefits of COX-2 selective agents, whereas ibuprofen and naproxen may neglect the antiplatelet effect of aspirin. NSAIDs increase the risk of both upper and lower GI complications. Co-therapy with PPI reduces the risk of upper but not lower GI complications, and seems to induce dysbiosis in the small bowel, which may be implicated in the damage induced by NSAIDs. Celecoxib, a COX-2 selective agent, seems safer for both the upper and the lower GI tract. Prescription of type and dose of NSAIDs must be individualized based on the stratification of the CV and GI risk of patients.

Low-dose Aspirin prevents hypertension and cardiac fibrosis when thromboxane A2 is unrestrained

Enhanced platelet activation has been reported in patients with essential hypertension and heart failure. The possible contribution of platelet-derived thromboxane (TX)A2 in their pathophysiology remains unclear. We investigated the systemic TXA2 biosynthesis in vivo and gene expression of its receptor TP in 22 essential hypertension patients and a mouse model of salt-sensitive hypertension. The contribution of platelet TXA2 biosynthesis on enhanced blood pressure (BP) and overload-induced cardiac fibrosis was explored in mice by treating with low-dose Aspirin, resulting in selective inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase (COX)-1-dependent TXA2 generation. In essential hypertensive patients, systemic biosynthesis of TXA2 [assessed by measuring its urinary metabolites (TXM) reflecting predominant platelet source] was enhanced together with higher gene expression of circulating leukocyte TP and TGF-β, vs. normotensive controls. Similarly, in hypertensive mice with prostacyclin (PGI2) receptor (IP) deletion (IPKO) fed with a high-salt diet, enhanced urinary TXM, and left ventricular TP overexpression were detected vs. normotensive wildtype (WT) mice. Increased cardiac collagen deposition and profibrotic gene expression (including TGF-β) was found. Low-dose Aspirin administration caused a selective inhibition of platelet TXA2 biosynthesis and mitigated enhanced blood pressure, cardiac fibrosis, and left ventricular profibrotic gene expression in IPKO but not WT mice. Moreover, the number of myofibroblasts and extravasated platelets in the heart was reduced. In cocultures of human platelets and myofibroblasts, platelet TXA2 induced profibrotic gene expression, including TGF-β1. In conclusion, our results support tailoring low-dose Aspirin treatment in hypertensive patients with unconstrained TXA2/TP pathway to reduce blood pressure and prevent early cardiac fibrosis.

Cardiovascular effects and safety of (non-aspirin) NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective, widely used analgesics. For the past 2 decades, considerable attention has been focused on their cardiovascular safety. After early studies indicating an association between NSAID use and increased risks of heart failure and elevated blood pressure, subsequent studies found a link between NSAID use and an increased risk of thrombotic events. Selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) inhibitors (also known as coxibs) have been associated with the greatest risk of adverse vascular effects but concern also relates to non-selective NSAIDs, especially those with strong COX2 inhibition such as diclofenac. Although NSAID use is discouraged in patients with cardiovascular disease, pain-relief medication is often required and, in the absence of analgesics that are at least as effective but safer, NSAIDs are frequently prescribed. Furthermore, non-prescription use of NSAIDs, even among people with underlying cardiovascular risks, is largely unsupervised and varies widely between countries. As concern mounts about the disadvantages of alternatives to NSAIDs (such as opioids) for pain management, the use of NSAIDs is likely to rise. Given that the pharmaceutical development pipeline lacks new analgesics, health-care professionals, patients and medicine regulatory authorities are focused on optimizing the safe use of NSAIDs. In this Review, we summarize the current evidence on the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs and present an approach for their use in the context of holistic pain management.